Uhane
by Cokie316
Summary: Pretty Lady, if you want him to keep breathing, you'll come with us, nice and quiet. The choice is yours...
1. Chapter 1

'_**Uhane, Chapter 1**_

_**By Cokie**_

_**Hello again to everyone. I started this back a few weeks ago and progressed rather quickly for a while before that thing called "real life" slowed me down. Now, I hope to be back on track and will post, in the beginning, a chapter a week. Once I near the end, I hope to post two per week... but don't hold me to that just yet. I am working on chapter 9 right now and I don't think there will be more than 11 or 12 at the max.**_

_**I have had four great betas look at my work and I appreciate so much all that they do to make my ramblings so much more concise and well, believable. Many, many thanks on top of even more mahalos :) to Sockie1000, Sym64, Rogue Tomato and Sherry57. They are absolutely great and masters at what they can do! The malasadas are my treat! But only if I can serve them with Diet Coke. **_

_**As always, I own none of this, but am thankful that the people who do own it all allow me to 'gently' play with them from time to time. Steve may disagree with the 'gentle' comment, but I do return them back just the way I found them. Well... for the most part. **_

_**And I can't say it enough, but thank you to all readers who read, review and hit that 'like' button. Last time, I got bogged down and was horrible with timely 'thank you's', but I promise to do much better with this story. But for the guests that I can't reach, this is a thank you to you from the start!**_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Another Monday morning.

Steve slapped the alarm clock with a vengeance, daring that little buzzer to go off again. Some mornings, he just hated 0530… and this was one of them. He rolled toward the middle of the bed, seeking the warmth he knew he would find. Half-awake, Catherine turned toward him and intertwined one leg between his.

That little movement woke up his body more than the clock ever could. And for that reason, they ran late for the rest of the morning.

She was supposed to be on base at 0645. When they finally checked the time, it was 0605.

"Oh! Fudge," she squeaked and jumped out of bed, dragging the sheet with her.

Steve rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand, grinning at her. "Fudge?"

She grabbed up clothes as she talked. "New Year's resolution. I'm going to quit swearing. Damn, where are my pants?"

"Good luck with that," he drawled.

"What? Finding my pants?"

"Yeah, where are those 'damn' pants. Hey, isn't that a swear word?"

"Oh, shut up, McGarrett and make yourself useful. I'm going to hit the shower."

He scooted to the side of the bed and stood up. "I'll find your pants. And shoes." He gave her a peck on the forehead and pushed her toward the bathroom. "Probably your phone… and purse…"

He heard the words "I hate you" as the bathroom door slammed shut. He could only grin as he pulled on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt with the sleeves cut off before heading downstairs. He smiled when he found her jeans in the kitchen. Apparently she forgot where they had come off last night. After getting her shoes and socks, he carried everything back upstairs so they would be waiting when she got out of the shower.

Her uniform was on base and she would change properly once she got there. This was only to get her decent for the trip to base. The trip took 12 minutes on a good day. Steve hoped that 0630 on a Monday would be a _**good**_ time… although he knew all about gridlock on the island.

Steve dropped off the clothes and then raced back downstairs to start the coffee.

_Note to Self: Get programmable coffee pot… and a less obnoxious alarm._

In mere minutes, Catherine bounded down the stairs where she was met by Steve bearing a to-go coffee mug filled with steaming coffee. He pointed to the end table where he had set her phone and purse. She fastened her still-wet hair up in a clip and then quickly threw the purse over her shoulder, shoved the phone into her pocket and reached for the mug. "Thank you, Commander," she told him with a smile.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant. See you next weekend?"

"Absolutely," she said, grinning at him. "I'm counting down the hours. Can't wait to get maneuvers over."

His only stipulation for the gifts he handed her was a goodbye kiss, which she gladly gave him.

Their lips still locked together, Steve opened the front door to allow her to go through first.

He was not expecting the immediate pain at his temple that knocked him backward where he fell to the floor.

Catherine screamed "Steve" while being shoved back into the living room by a second gun-wielding man wearing a black face mask. His .38 was up under her chin, pressing her head back, his other hand grabbing her hair. The man removed the gun, but held onto her hair, surprised when she slammed her head into his face, immediately causing blood to gush from his nose.

"Son of a…" Before she had a chance to move, he backhanded her, knocking her down and into the coffee table.

She pressed the back of her hand against her cut lip, trying to stifle the bleeding. Catherine bit off a scream when her arm was jerked upward and the gun was planted once again beneath her chin.

Steve managed to get to his knees; his head swimming and blood dripping into his left eye, but he prepared to stand when he saw that Cath was in trouble. He didn't made it to his feet before he was hit with the butt of the automatic weapon again, this time in a downward motion on top of his left shoulder. He fell backward into a small table next to the stairs, knocking the lamp and books to the floor around him. Steve managed to get to his knees once again and planted his right hand on the floor in the attempt to not fall flat on his face. Through blurry eyes, he could see drops of blood steadily dripping onto the hardwood floor.

"Who are you?" he finally managed to get out in a ragged voice.

"Not your concern," the man holding Catherine said. "Now, Pretty Lady, if you want him to keep breathing, you'll come with us, nice and quiet. The choice is yours."

"Cath! No!" Steve fought to get up.

The P-90 was turned and the barrel pushed against his head, just above his ear, the man holding the weapon smiling as he said, "Try it. I dare you."

"I repeat, the choice is yours," Catherine's handler said with a chuckle. "My friend here is just itching to pull that trigger."

"What the hell do you want?" Steve demanded.

"We've got what we want right here," the leader calmly replied, moving to stand behind Catherine. He put away his weapon and pulled a black zip tie from his pocket and quickly bound her hands. Initially she tried to fight the action until the man holding the gun against Steve's head nudged him with the barrel. She watched Steve's eyes, pleading with her not to do anything stupid.

"Don't hurt him, please. I'll—"

"Catherine, don't go-"

The intruder laughed again. "Looks like you might mean something to her," he said while pushing Catherine toward the doorway. Once they were outside, he nodded to the man who held the gun on Steve. In a quick move, the assault weapon was flipped back around and the gun butt viciously slammed into the side of his head. The force behind the blow knocked Steve sideways where he hit the floor with a dull thud.

"Steve! Stop, don't hurt him. Steve… NO!" Catherine twisted and caught a glimpse of him lying unmoving on the floor before she was pushed into a panel van, her captor jumping in behind her and slamming the door. She tried to head butt him but he used her momentum and threw her against the side of the van, where her head connected with the metal panel. She slumped down, unconscious.

**~~~H50~~~**

**_yes, I know it is short. But really, that was the best place to stop it._**


	2. Chapter 2

'_**Uhane, Chapter 2**_

_**By Cokie**_

_**Well, unfortunately, here is another short chapter, but I hope you enjoy it! **_

~~~H50~~~

"OK, I'm calling," Danny announced to Chin and Kono. "I know that Catherine was here this weekend, but don't you think 8:20 is a little late to be strolling in to work on a Monday morning? Especially when we have a strategy meeting with the governor in," he glanced at the clock on the wall and calculated, "roughly forty minutes?"

"Yeah, Brah, we were supposed to go over our game plan before the meeting," Chin replied. "Not much time for that now."

Danny had the phone to his ear, listening as it rang four times and then went to voice mail. He made a face at his friends. "No answer. Maybe he's on his way. I'll give him five minutes."

Five minutes turned into ten, with three more phone calls.

"Should we ping his phone?" Kono asked. "How tacky is that?"

"Very," Danny agreed, "but I don't care. Chin, care to do the honors?"

Chin Ho reached over the smart table and with a few keystrokes, pulled up the location of Steve's phone. The little red dot blinked from Steve's home address.

"Anyone else think that is a bit odd?" Chin asked, glancing up at Danny.

Danny chewed his lower lip. "You two go on to the governor's office. I'm headed to his house and I'll grab his sorry ass and text you our ETA. Think you can come up with a good enough excuse to stall for time?"

"We got it," Kono assured him. "Good luck."

"No luck involved. I'm guessing they had quite a late night." Danny headed for the glass doors to leave, thinking to himself, _hope that's all it is._

~~~H50~~~

**9:00**

Chin and Kono were seated in the waiting area of the governor's office when Chin's phone rang.

"Danny?" he asked quietly so as not to gain the attention of the governor's assistant's.

"Both of you get over here," Danny hurriedly replied, his voice shaky. "EMS and HPD are on the way. Steve's out cold, bleeding all over the floor. Catherine's car is here, but I can't find her."

"On our way," Chin pocketed the phone and motioned for Kono. He turned to the executive assistant and said, "We have an emergency. Please explain to the governor and tell him we'll contact him as soon as we can." He turned and ran down the hall, Kono right behind him.

"What happened?" she asked, jogging to keep up.

"Steve's unconscious and bleeding. Catherine isn't there, but her car is. That's all I know."

~~~H50~~~

Danny held on as the ambulance turned the corner, making its way to the highway. He was trying to stay out of the way of the technician who was adding another layer of gauze to the blood-soaked pads covering half of Steve's head.

He felt physically sick…

_When he had pulled up the drive, both Steve's truck and Catherine's car were parked. The front door was wide open, which caused the hair on the back of his neck to come to attention. He quietly got out of the Camaro and removed his gun from the holster. Creeping closer to the house, he heard nothing, but moved near the door and took a quick look… to find his partner on the floor._

_Danny moved into the living room and checked the area for intruders before dropping to his knees next to Steve who was lying on his right side, clearly unconscious. Gravity had caused rivulets of blood to trail across his forehead and down his face from a wound on his forehead. Another head wound above his right ear had soaked his hair, and blood curved around his ear, down his neck and onto the wood floor. _

_He could clearly see the bruising on Steve's shoulder extending to the base of his neck and a tell-tale bump in the middle of his collarbone beneath the cut-off sleeve of the shirt._

_Danny jumped up, reaching for his phone while racing into the kitchen, first to get a clean towel and second, to look for Catherine. The back door was locked from the inside and after a quick look out the window, he saw the back yard was clear. Danny called for EMS and then HPD to come to the house while retrieving a clean kitchen towel to attempt to stop the seeping of blood from Steve's wound._

"_Steve, hey, can you hear me?" he asked, again dropping to his side, placing the towel on the wound. He gently patted his partner's cheek, hoping for a reaction. Receiving none, he decided to check out the upstairs while calling Chin. He gave the house a cursory search and Catherine was nowhere to be found. The bed was unmade and there was one wet towel in the bathroom; no sign of a struggle upstairs._

_He couldn't find a hint as to what had happened. _

_And wouldn't know anything until Steve woke up and could tell him. _

Either the jerking of the ambulance or the technician's touch elicited the weak groan from his partner. Danny shook himself from his memories and focused on Steve who tried to reach his hand up to touch his head.

"No touching," the tech warned while grasping Steve's arm and placing it by his side on the gurney.

Danny scooted forward and lightly placed his hand on Steve's left arm that had been wrapped against his body with an elastic bandage to hold the broken clavicle in place.

"Steve? Hey, Buddy, can you hear me?"

"Unh?"

"No, stop, don't try to move, OK?" Danny tried to calm him, watching as the injured man tried to turn his head toward his voice. "They have you in a neck brace. Don't try to move your head."

"Head… ache," Steve whispered.

"Yeah, no doubt. Steve… can you tell me what happened back there?"

"Back… where?"

"Your home. This morning. Can you tell me what happened?"

Steve's eyes tried to flicker open but after opening to half mast, he gave up and let them slide closed.

"Steve? What happened?"

McGarrett softly sighed, then replied, "Dunno. Nothin'?" before sleeping once again.

~~~H50~~~


	3. Chapter 3

'_**Uhane, Chapter 3**_

_**By Cokie**_

~~~H50~~~

**10:30**

"Any news?" Kono's voice carried across the room from the ER's entrance as she and Chin wove through the chairs to reach Danny.

Danny had just leaned back in the chair and stretched his legs in front of him before jumping back up to meet his friends. Shaking his head, he replied, "Not a thing. Last they said was that he was taken for some tests. What'd you find at the house?" he immediately questioned.

"A whole lot of Steve's blood," Chin replied. "They haven't told you anything?"

"No," Danny shook his head and pointed toward the clerk at the admissions desk. "And if I ask that _nice_ lady again,_** I'll**_ probably need the emergency room."

The trio sat in the uncomfortable plastic seats, Chin expanding his answer to Danny's question. "There were a couple other small smears of blood near the coffee table. We're running them. When we left, CSU was beginning to go over the entire house, but it looks like whatever happened, happened right at the front door. They had to have been surprised."

"Yeah, that's what it looked like to me," Danny agreed. "No one's heard from Catherine?"

"We traced her phone," Kono told him, and then hesitated before continuing. "It was on the side of the road at the end of Steve's street. Her purse was tossed there, too, probably as the car stopped at the sign. Nothing was taken… all her cards, IDs and cash were there."

Danny ran his hand through his hair and thought out loud. "So she _**was**_ abducted. What the heck was the motive?"

They heard a crash from the interior of the emergency room which sounded like metal clanging on the tile floor. All three turned around to look at the double doors, but after the initial sound, all was quiet. Danny turned back around to ask another question, when the doors opened and a hurried nurse wearing wet scrubs came out. "Is there a Danny out here?"

Danny jumped to his feet once again. "Me. What's wrong?"

She motioned for him to follow her. "I'm hoping you can help us. Commander McGarrett just regained consciousness and he wants to fight." She led Danny down the hall and he heard his partner long before he could see him.

"Get off me! Let me go!"

"Commander, please," a frustrated male voice replied.

"No, get off! Now!"

The nurse and Danny stopped at the curtained doorway of the glassed-in cubicle. A beefy male in scrubs was standing at the end of the ER bed, his hands pressing against Steve's knees, keeping him from moving his legs. A young doctor, Danny presumed by the new, starched white lab coat, was pressing one hand down on Steve's forehead and the other on his chest, trying to keep him from moving. A metal suture tray was overturned and instruments, packages of gauze and sutures littered the wet floor. The smell of spilled alcohol permeated the air.

"Hey!" Danny immediately moved toward the bed holding his partner. "What's going on?"

"Danny!" Steve was fighting to move and the word came out in a pain-filled grunt. "Help me. They have Cath. We have to—"

Danny was by his side. "Let him go!" He told the doctor.

"I can't. Look what he did in here. And on top of that, he tried to leave."

"I know… just let him go. Trust me." Danny glared at the angry man, daring him to disagree. He then looked down at Steve as the doctor slowly removed his hands. He gently placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. "You," he warned him, "be still."

"But, Danny—"

"I know, I know. Just be patient."

"What's going on in here?" a gruff voice spoke from behind Danny.

The nurse who came to get Danny filled him in. "Dr. Mason, our patient woke up and quickly began to fight. Dr. Cobb tried to restrain him and… things sort of fell in the process."

"The patient clearly is combative and needs restraints," the young doctor argued, turning to stare at the tall, gray haired man.

Dr. Mason shut the file he was carrying and peered around Cobb to look at Steve. "Well, he looks fairly calm right now. I was just going over his test results when I heard the commotion. How about I take over from here?"

"But…"

"I can handle it, Dr. Cobb. Now, out." He looked at the orderly who had been holding Steve down and said, "Enoka, please pick up the tray and get someone from housekeeping in here."

"Yes, sir."

The doctor turned around and moved closer to the bed while Danny took a position out of the way, next to the curtained doorway. "OK, Commander, let's talk."

"Look, I need—"

Mason held up his hand and quieted him. "Sorry, but I have the floor first." He set the chart on the bed next to Steve and pulled a penlight from his pocket. "Like I said, I was looking at your scans and you must have a very hard head. There is no damage to your neck or spine, so we removed the collar although we do need to set your left clavicle. No skull fracture, but I'm guessing you have one helluva headache, am I right?"

Steve just looked at him.

"This is where you get to talk, Son," the doctor urged.

"Not bad," he finally quietly replied.

"Commander, I am a colonel in the Marine Corps first and a doctor second. Now cut the bull and be honest. How's the head?"

"Hurts, Sir."

"That's better. And you're probably not going to like this." He turned on the light and Steve braced himself for what was coming next.

After shining the light in both eyes, Dr. Mason put away the penlight. "Both eyes are a bit sluggish," he mumbled, picking up his pen to write in the chart. He glanced back at Steve who had his eyes squeezed shut. The doctor again pulled out his light to examine the cut and goose egg on Steve's temple. "Nurse, can you get someone from plastic surgery down here please? There's a lot of swelling here, but hopefully they can get this one glued shut rather than stitching it."

He had to move while they picked up articles from the floor, but turned back to his patient, going to the other side of the bed and removed the gauze above Steve's ear. "This one will get stitched. Son, now we get to play Twenty Questions. Can you tell me your name?"

"Begging your pardon, Sir," Steve said between gulps of air, "but I have got to get out of here."

"And that will only happen after you cooperate with me. Are you going to be sick?"

Steve closed his eyes and breathed through his nose. "No. Uh.. maybe."

Dr. Mason requested Phenergan and the nurse left the room. "We'll get something to help the nausea," the doctor promised. "Now, back to the questions. What's your name?"

"Steve." He paused for a moment, his earlier strength clearly waning. "Steve McGarrett."

"Rank?"

"Lt. Commander, US Navy."

"What month were you born?"

"Um, March."

Mason had moved to the end of the bed and picked up Steve's foot. "Can you press against my hand?" After a beat, he said, "Good," and was going to check the other leg when the nurse returned with a syringe. The doctor reached again for Steve's left leg and placed his hand under the knee. "Draw your knee up, we're gonna attack your six with a needle." He pushed Steve's knee to the right and pulled down the elastic of his running shorts so that she could insert the needle in his backside.

"That should help soon," she assured Steve. "Let me know if you need a basin."

Steve whispered "thanks," his eyes closing.

"Do you know what day this is?"

The doctor received no answer. "Steve!?"

"Huh?"

"What day is this?"

Steve opened his eyes and glanced around the room. "Why does this matter? Is Danny still here?"

"Yeah, Babe, I'm here," Danny said, moving into Steve's line of vision on the opposite side of the bed. "Just answer the doctor."

He again ignored the question. "Danny, they took Cath. I've got to get her back."

Steve's eyes were dull and filled with pain. And Danny knew that not all of the pain was physical. "OK, listen to me," he said, placing his hand on Steve's good shoulder. "We'll get her back. I promise. But first, you need to get patched up. Let us do the work on this one and you concentrate on getting yourself healed for when Catherine gets home. Can you do that?"

Steve dug his right elbow down on the bed and tried to raise himself up. "No, Danny, I've got to—"

Dr. Mason planted his hand in the middle of Steve's chest. "Stand down, Sailor. And that's an order. You're not going anywhere for a while. There are stitches and a bone to be set in your immediate future, so just relax."

He hit the bed with his fist. "We're wasting time," he yelled.

"Listen," Danny told him. "CSU is going over your house and the crime lab is already working on this, Steve. Your job right now is to lay there and relax. Let them take care of you."

In a quieter voice, Steve replied, "You know I can't do that."

"Well, for right now," Mason explained, "that is your only option. I'm going to suture the wound over your ear and while we're waiting for the surgeon, we'll fix up your arm."

**~~~H50~~~**

Danny remained in the exam room and no one challenged his presence as they worked on his partner, inserting a row of nine stitches in the side of his head, gluing shut the wound on his temple and ensuring his collarbone was in proper alignment before settling his arm in a more comfortable position on his chest. Which, Danny decided, all hurt him almost as much as it did Steve. At least Steve had the luxury of novacaine in his head and a shot of something to dull the pain from his arm.

"How're you doing, Steve? Are you awake?" Dr. Mason asked.

After a few beats, the clouded eyes slowly opened. "Yeah."

"Sorry for being so rough, but from the X-rays, I could see that wasn't the first break in your collarbone. It was a bit tricky. When you feel like it, I want to try sitting you up in a minute so we can get the sling on. Think you're ready for that?"

"If it gets me out of here, yeah."

The bed was raised and Steve tilted sideways at the head rush, caught by both Danny and Dr. Mason.

In telling the story at a much later date, Danny would swear to it that his partner had 'swooned'. But today, all he saw was Steve's face blanching and his partner passing out.

Dr. Mason lowered the bed once again. "Hmmph. Was afraid of that." He turned to the nurse. "Janie, keep the basin close by because I'm guessing when he wakes up, he's gonna hurl. Now, Danny… mind if I call you that?" At Danny's nod, Mason asked, "What's he talking about 'they took Cath'. Do you know what's going on?"

Danny shook his head and ran one hand through his hair, before rubbing the back of his neck. Blowing out a breath, he explained, motioning with his hands. "Catherine is Steve's girlfriend. It looks like they were surprised this morning as they were leaving home. Catherine has disappeared and Steve ended up like this. No clue yet who took her or why."

"Well, contrary to what he expects, he's in no condition to leave anytime soon," Dr. Mason declared.

"I can clearly see that," Danny replied. "But—"

"Excuse me," Chin said from the doorway. "Danny, I've got news. How's Steve?"

"Injured, ornery, sick, defiant, depends on what minute it is. What do you have?" he asked as Kono moved around Chin and gravitated toward the bed. He moved out into the hallway with the lieutenant.

"One of the smears of blood on the coffee table came back positive for Catherine."

Danny sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Not good. _He glanced toward the bed with its still-sleeping occupant. "And the other?"

"Not enough for a conclusive match. Sorry."

"It figures," Danny mumbled. "I'm going to call Pearl and get a meeting with Catherine's CO. See what she's been working on. I'm sure Steve thinks this was retribution for something he did, but there's a possibility it isn't related to Five-0 or Steve at all."

"Good point. Of course, you know he's going to take the blame regardless."

"Oh, yeah."

"Kono and I are going to head back to the office. Are you staying here for a while?"

"Yeah, until we know what's going on with him. You keep me posted and I'll be in touch as soon as I know something here."

_**~~~H50~~~**_


	4. Chapter 4

'_**Uhane, Chapter 4**_

_**By Cokie**_

~~~H50~~~

Steve awoke, at first not certain where he was. But a whiff of the antiseptic-filled air caused his stomach to churn and he realized it was the hospital. With his eyes still closed, he took stock of his aching body, realizing the left side of his head felt like it had been run through the meat grinder. And his left shoulder was one big mass of pain.

He remembered earlier... in the ER. First he had sat up… and then he had thrown up. After that, things were pretty hazy.

What he **_did_** clearly remember was Catherine's voice when she had cried out his name this morning. He knew he wouldn't forget that anytime soon.

He dreaded opening his eyes, knowing that when he did, the pain in his head would increase tenfold. But he knew he had to so that he could get out of this place. Blinking, his eyes immediately began to water, but he glanced around the room without moving his head. The head of the bed was angled and he saw Danny sitting beside the bed, fiddling with his phone.

"Hey," he tried to say, but his voice sounded as rough as sandpaper. Clearing it, he tried again as Danny set down his phone and stood up.

"Hey, yourself." He reached for a plastic cup with a spoon in it. "Want some?"

Steve reached up to take the cup before realizing that his left arm was totally immobilized. Not an easy task to spoon out ice chips with one arm.

"Here, my treat," Danny told him, spooning some ice into his friend's mouth. He could clearly see that Steve despised the entire 'helpless' situation. After another spoon of ice, he pressed the call button. "I had to promise I would call the nurse the minute you woke up."

"Tell her to bring my papers to sign out." Steve told him, his eyes once again closed.

"That's between you and Dr. Mason."

"No, it is my decision," Steve weakly argued. "Do you… is there any news?"

"Not yet," Danny hated to admit.

Not only did the nurse enter the room, but Dr. Mason came in right behind her. "Commander, how are you feeling?"

"I'll live. And I would like my walking papers, Sir."

"Your friend filled me in on the situation and I can understand your determination to leave. But you aren't quite ready yet."

"I have to—"

Dr. Mason shined the light into Steve's eyes, causing him to wince in pain before squeezing them shut. "Commander, some concussions are simply a nuisance. Right now, yours is far worse than that. You couldn't sit up, you've thrown up twice and passed out on us twice."

"Only once," Steve argued.

The doctor shook his head. "Twice. We sat you up in the ER and you passed right out. After you woke up from that, you upchucked and then almost fell off the bed when you passed out again. And on the trip to this floor, you threw up in the elevator." He peered over his glasses at his patient's expression of disbelief. "Trust me. I had to change clothes. And in addition to the concussion, you have a moderate break to your clavicle. There is extensive bruising and it came close to breaking the skin. Any unnecessary movement could cause more damage there."

"And I don't care," Steve replied. "My friend… my girlfriend was snatched from my house this morning. More than likely in retaliation for something I've done. I need to figure out what that is… and then I have to find out who has her."

"And I fully hope that you can do so," the doctor replied, with a nod. "Just not today. Hopefully in the morning things will look different and you can leave."

"No."

"Yes. I can't in good conscience let you out of here. "

"And I am not asking permission," Steve told him.

"Steve, I happen to be on a couple of boards with the governor and because of that, I know a bit about Five-0. I know that you report directly to him. I wouldn't want to pull rank and call him, but, if you give me no other choice, I will do just that."

Danny finally entered the conversation. "Steve, let me get your statement and then I'll go back and fill in Chin and Kono. We are doing everything we can to find Catherine, I swear we are. Duke, Charlie and Max are all helping, too. And we even asked Kamekona to put his ear to the ground. But while we're working, it would help if we knew we didn't have to worry about you, too. Please, I'm begging you, stay here."

Steve's head was throbbing with each beat of his heart; pains shooting from his neck down his left arm were also begging for attention. His vision kept wobbling and he knew without much effort, he would be dry heaving once again, a task that wouldn't help either his head or his shoulder.

"I'd like to give you another push of IV pain meds since your stomach isn't tolerating anything right now," Mason continued. "After this, hopefully we can switch to oral with the goal of getting you out of here tomorrow morning. Do we have a deal?"

"Danny, you have to keep me in the loop."

"Absolutely. I have an appointment with Commander McMillan at Pearl at 4:30 to see if the Navy knows any reason that Catherine could have been targeted. You do realize this may not be about you, right?"

"Possibly. But I don't think so," Steve replied, sighing and closing his eyes. The longer he was awake, the worse he felt. In addition to his vision graying, he was now seeing white arcing lights and red dots. His stomach was quivering and beginning to churn, just waiting for an opportune moment to surprise him once again. With another shaky sigh, Steve conceded, "OK, I'll stay. For now. But if something happens, Danny, so help me, you have to let me know."

"Deal."

"Good," Dr. Mason nodded. "Now that that's settled, Frannie has the pain meds and another shot of Phenergan. You look like you could use it. If you need me, let her know and I'll return."

Once the meds were given and they were gone, Danny settled back down in the chair by the bed. "You feel like talking for a few minutes?"

"Yeah," Steve replied, his eyes still closed. He reached his hand to his face and rubbed both eyes with his thumbs. "If I go to sleep before we're finished, wake me up. You ready for what I remember?"

"Anytime you're ready. Mind if I record it on my phone?"

"Do you know how?"

"No need to be snide, Steven, I know how to use the phone. OK, I'm ready for you."

Steve began his story… "We were running late…"

~~~H50~~~

**2:30**

Catherine went from a deep, drug-induced sleep to having her first coherent thought of, _Gonna be sick_. She rolled to her side and hurled, hopefully off the side of the bed. _Steve, I'm sorry. I'll clean it up…soon … when I feel better. _

She lay there for a few more minutes with her eyes closed, riding out the cramps, willing herself to wake up. _Did we drink too much last night? Can't even remember going to bed._ She rolled onto her back and reached out her arm for Steve… feeling only an empty, cold bed. _Must be late,_ she mused. _He's probably out for a swim. Get up and get moving, Rollins. This time _**you**_ can make the coffee._

With a groan, she rolled back to her side and pushed herself upright, mindful of the vomit on the floor. She raised one arm up and pushed her hair behind her ear, touching a sore spot on her skull. Feeling that, she realized she had a goose egg which hurt to touch. And which was probably the cause of her pounding head.

_Head._

Clarity came back with a vengeance as she remembered Steve being slammed in the side of the head with the butt end of a gun. She opened her eyes… and wished that she hadn't. Not only was she violently dizzy, she had to lean over and throw up on the floor again. She didn't remember this room, but she did remember being thrown into a van, and then nothing else.

Once she could keep both eyes open and her stomach where it belonged, she looked around again. She was in a room, sparsely furnished with an old iron bed and a chamber pot in the corner. There was nothing more other than a door and one window. Catherine tried to stand and then looked down at her feet. A handcuff was fastened around her right ankle and entwined with a steel-encased rope; the other end was locked onto the footboard of the bed. Carefully she stood, holding onto the bed while trying to blink away the vertigo. The cord attached to the bed gave her ample movement to reach the chamber pot, but the window and the door were out of her reach.

Catherine looked out the window to the verdant green everywhere. It was daytime, that much was evident due to the light, but the room was shadowy due to the thick foliage, which from her vantage point, appeared not even ten feet away.

_I'm in the damn jungle!_

_Steve._ _ Where are you now? _

Her mind played over what had happened that morning and she knew he had been hit at least twice with the P-90. She remembered the blood on his head, dripping down his face and neck._ Please be all right. _Cath couldn't stand the thought that he had been hurt while trying to save her.

With a sigh, she sat back down on the bed. Her legs felt like rubber and she knew it would be best not to land in a heap on the floor. She crossed her leg into her lap and checked out the handcuff on her ankle. Not that she could see clearly, but she had to at least _**try**_ to help herself.

_Who the hell did this? And why? _

Catherine jerked around when she heard the door latch unlock. Slowly the door opened with a creak and a man wearing a ball cap entered and raised his head to stare at her.

"You!" she hissed, her eyes flashing hatred… surprise… and unfortunately, a whole lot of fear.

A fact that seemed to delight her captor immensely.


	5. Chapter 5

**Housekeeping: Yes, I know this isn't Tuesday! But I had a really good excuse to miss my deadline. My daughter in Tennessee was due for a C-section next Tuesday, but her little one decided to come a week early! I became a Nana for the second time yesterday to a beautiful 10 pound baby girl named Kate! She joins her big brother, Matthew! Yesterday I ran to work and finished up last minute things and raced down to TN. The chapter was ready and was setting in the folder ready to send, but I totally forgot about it until today.**

**My apologies. I hope you enjoy it even though it is late. Thanks again to my super betas! I wouldn't enjoy this without you!**

**~~~H50~~~**

'_**Uhane, Chapter 5**_

_**By Cokie**_

~~~H50~~~

_**4:20 **_

Danny jumped through several hoops getting on the Naval Base at Pearl and finally found a place to park near the administrative offices. Just inside the doorway of the officers' wing, his phone rang and he slowed down, answering, "Williams."

He was staring across the reception area as he heard Dr. Mason come on the line. "Let me guess, Doc," Danny began. "You've lost a patient."

"Is he with you?" Mason's exasperated voice was heard through the phone.

"Not quite yet, but I've got a visual on him. And for the record, he looks like death warmed over. Can I call you back after my… or rather _our_ meeting with Commander McMillan?"

"Watch him," Mason ordered.

"That's my job," Danny replied with a sigh.

~~~H50~~~

Steve was standing against the wall, neatly dressed in service khakis, _**minus**_, Danny noted, his sling. _How the hell did he manage to get home, dressed and make it here before me when he was nearly passed out in the hospital when I left him a few hours go? _

He moved closer to his partner and saw Steve close his eyes and convulsively swallow before speaking.

"Don't start, Danny. Please."

"Why don't you at least sit down before you fall down?" Danny hissed as quietly as he could.

"Because I would have to be a contortionist to get out of one of those chairs," Steve replied. "And right now, I'm… not."

"OK, I can understand that," Danny replied, looking around the room, seeing another officer sitting nearby. "Can I just ask how the hell you pulled this off? I mean, it's pretty impressive… uniform and all, because the last time I saw you, you were in a very fashionable hospital gown. Not to mention, flat on your back."

"I called in a favor, all right? Danny, I'd like you to meet Ensign Tyler Grant," Steve said, introducing him to the seated officer. "Tyler, this is my partner, Danny Williams."

Danny nodded and smiled politely at the young man, then scrunched up his face in confusion when he noticed that the ensign was holding Steve's sling. "Wait… _he's _the favor? And why aren't you wearing your sling?"

"Didn't match the uniform," Steve replied while holding his left wrist tightly to his body with his right hand.

"Of course it didn't. Whatever was I thinking?"

"Commander? Detective Williams? Commander McMillan will see you now."

~~~H50~~~

Commander McMillan was standing, staring out the window when Steve and Danny were ushered in. Steve immediately stood at attention, wincing while doing so. Dropping his injured arm to his side was not a good idea. "Commander."

McMillan turned around. "At eas—Crap, Steve, what the hell happened?" He moved to the side of his office and held out a chair at the conference table. "Sit. You look like you're ready to fall down."

"Thank you," Steve replied while easing down into the chair. "Sir, my partner, Danny Williams."

They shook hands as they sat down, the commander retrieving bottles of water from a small fridge beneath a cabinet. He sat down, setting a bottle in front of both Steve and Danny. Danny reached for Steve's and removed the top, motioning for Steve to drink some.

"I received an email earlier today stating that Lt. Rollins was missing, but I've been on a video call with the Pentagon all day. I assume that is what this is about?"

"Yes, Sir. Cath—Lieutenant Rollins was taken around 0630 by two men. They surprised us when I opened the front door." He motioned vaguely to his head. "Got the butt of a P-90 to the face."

"From the looks of you, that's not all they did," McMillan said. "Are you sure you're supposed to be out of bed?"

Danny looked at Steve, but remained quiet. Still not the time for a rant, but he had to bite his tongue.

Steve gave the commander a sheepish look, only saying, "Probably not. But I need to find her, Sir."

Danny did finally step in. "Commander, could her kidnapping be work related? Or to something she was just working on? Any sensitive matter someone might want to stop?"

McMillan folded his hands on the table and glanced at the papers in front of him. "Lieutenant Rollins has had a part in many covert ops during her time with Intelligence. I won't deny that," he began. "But in almost every case, she is one of the people behind the scenes and no one knows her identity." He held up his hand to forestall any comments. "I'm not saying that is always the case, Steve, but we generally keep our intelligence experts working quietly in the background."

Steve nodded. "I know that, Sir. But this week, I thought she was working on maneuvers."

The commander nodded. "She is. Beginning last Monday, she's been on a ship docked off the coast dictating maneuvers for sailors' proficiency exams. There is nothing remotely covert or secretive about it."

"Could we speak to any of her coworkers?" Danny asked.

"Absolutely. In fact, I've already taken the liberty to transport two of them back to Pearl. I have her immediate CO, Lt. Commander Erickson and a coworker, Lt. Holly Tam."

Steve nodded and looked at Danny. "Holly and Cath have been friends since they were roommates in basic."

The phone system beeped and a voice came on the line. "Commander, the lieutenant and commander have arrived."

"Please send them in, Ensign."

"Commander, Sir," two voices said in tandem when they came into the office.

McMillan nodded and asked the two to have seats. Holly moved around the table and glanced at McGarrett before realizing who he was. "Comman—Steve! My goodness, what happened to you?" Realizing where she was, she attempted to back pedal, glancing at the commander. "Sorry, Sir."

Commander McMillan nodded at her and indicated for her to be seated.

"Lieutenant Tam," Steve nodded with a smile.

She stared at the bruises on his face and his puffy left eye, before speaking again, very quietly. "I've had a bad feeling all day. And then when I found out Lt. Rollins didn't make it to work this morning, I knew something was wrong. Has something happened to her?"

Steve opened his mouth to speak but the commander beat him to it. "You both know Commander McGarrett, and this is his partner, Detective Williams. They are here because Lieutenant Rollins was abducted from the commander's home early this morning. We were hoping maybe one of you could shed some light on anything going on in the lieutenant's life. Anything you may have seen or heard."

Lt. Commander Erickson shook his head. "Lt. Rollins has been working on maneuvers for the past week, coordinating from the ship. There is nothing out of the ordinary, no top secret work, and no 'extra' work. She remained on the ship from last Monday morning until Friday around six since she had the weekend off."

"And she was with me all weekend," Steve verified. "And there was nothing out of the ordinary. Holly," he stared at Catherine's friend. "Do you know _**any**_thing?"

The young woman slowly shook her head, still in shock. "Nothing. We had lunch in the mess hall on Friday. She was excited about the weekend." She glanced up and smiled wanly at Steve. "In fact, she couldn't wait."

Steve glanced at Danny. "I'm telling you, this is about me, not Cath."

"You could be right, but I'm still not totally convinced." He turned to her two coworkers. "Do you know of anyone who doesn't like Catherine? Someone who may have it in for her?"

Catherine's CO adamantly shook his head. "No one. And I would swear to that. Lieutenant Rollins is the most helpful, most cooperative, pleasant person. She enjoys her job and she likes the people she works with."

Danny looked to Holly for her answer and saw a frightened look come over her face. "Lieutenant?"

Steve looked at her and also could see the fear. "Holly? What is it?"

She slowly brought both hands up to her face and shook her head, whispering, "No. It isn't possible."

Steve leaned forward and reached out to touch her arm. "Tell me. Please tell me."

"It's crazy," she began. "Beau Nordhoff."

Steve stared at her for a beat then shook his head. "Beau's dead. Thankfully."

"Wait," Danny said. "Who's Beau?"

Holly continued. "Last week I saw Lieutenant Foster in the grocery and she asked, _'Do you believe in 'Uhane, because I swear I just saw one.'_ Jen said she saw someone who looked so much like Beau that he could have been his twin." She shook her head. "We laughed and I said, _'Glad we don't have to worry about him anymore.'_ But… Steve, what if she was right? What if he isn't dead?"

Steve stared at her, his face a mask. "He's dead."

"Who is Beau Nordhoff?"Danny tried again.

Steve glanced at him. "Someone Cath used to know. He spent some time in the brig because he got pretty rough with her one night. I stopped him from really hurting her and he vowed to get both of us. But," he looked back at Holly, "I think it was 2008 when I heard he was killed in a car crash. To my knowledge, if he's alive, no one has heard from him since."

Danny quickly stood and moved to the opposite side of the office, to make a call. "Hey, Chin, give me everything you can on Beau Nordhoff… supposedly deceased in '08." He looked back toward the table. "Was he in the Navy?"

Holly nodded her head. "A petty officer located at Coronado."

When Danny returned, Steve glanced around the table. "We'll check this out. If he has Cath… he's out for revenge. From both of us. But hopefully we can verify that he really is dead." He leaned back into his chair. "Which means we are back to Square One. Holly, do you know where the lieutenant saw this person?"

"No, but I'll find out." She looked to her two CO's. "With your permission, I would like to go get Lt. Foster and take her to the commander. Today is her day off."

Her CO nodded. "Granted. I wish you luck."

Holly shook her head again, then raised it to lock eyes with McGarrett. "If this is true and I didn't warn Cath, all this is my fault."

Steve quickly reacted to that statement. "Hey! No, it's not Holly. You couldn't have known. Let's see what we find out."

"Should Jen and I come to your office?"

"Yes, please, we're at Ali'iolani Hale."

"Uh, no," Danny waved his hand toward her. "Do you know where Steve's house is located? Because that's where we're going to be."

"Dan—"

Danny shook his head, warning Steve without words that he didn't stand a snowball's chance with this one.

Steve shut up, but prepared for the argument he knew they would have as soon as they were away from the base.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Commander McMillan asked.

"No, Sir," Steve replied, pushing himself up from the chair with his right arm, then leaning on the table trying to keep his balance. Once he felt capable, he reached out and shook the commander's hand. "Thank you, Sir." He nodded to Catherine's CO and then looked to Holly. "We'll see you later?"

At her nod, he asked, "Remember how to get there?"

"Of course. And I've got your number so I'll let you know when to expect us."

He nodded. "Good. Thank you." With a glance at Danny, he nodded toward the door. Once he reached it, he motioned for the ensign to follow and headed down the hall. Danny was walking right behind him when suddenly, Steve made a break for it and ran to the restroom, palming his hand against the door.

By the time Danny and the ensign arrived, they could hear Steve getting sick inside.

Danny turned to the young man and shook his head, muttering, "I'm going in." He carefully opened the door to glance inside, seeing Steve at the sink, leaning over it, throwing up. Danny turned back to the young man. "Think you might be able to find a chair or something?"

"One chair coming right up."

Danny went inside and grabbed some paper towels, wetting them in the second sink. He placed the stack in his palm and held it against Steve's forehead. "Maybe you overdid it a tad, don't you think, Babe?" He could see that Steve's legs were about ready to give out and was thankful when the door opened and Tyler appeared with a folding chair, which he opened and set behind Steve. Holly squeezed around him and entered the bathroom as well.

"You finished?" Danny asked when Steve glanced up at him in the mirror.

The only answer he received was a weak nod. "Then sit." Danny was at a disadvantage because he was next to Steve's injured arm, but Tyler helped him ease down in the chair. Even taking it slow, Steve grimaced and cradled his injured arm with the other.

Tyler retrieved the sling and held it out for Danny. "Maybe now's the time to get this back on."

"Agreed. Come on, Steve, you need to wear this."

Steve had propped his uninjured arm on the counter, with his head resting on it. He leaned back and looked at them in the mirror. With a sigh, he glared. "Holly, what the hell are you doing in here?"

"Making sure you're not going to pass out on the floor, Commander, Sir!"

"I'm fine."

"Oh yeah, he is fine," Danny mumbled while trying to feed Steve's arm through the sling.

With Holly's help, they got the arm in place and she strapped it down with the Velcro fasteners around his back. She then knelt in front of him in the small bathroom space. "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

Steve looked at her and gave her an exasperated sigh. "Have I ever been able to stop you?"

She smiled, but sadly. "No." Holly took his face in her hands. "Listen to me, Steve. Please. We both know what kind of hissy fit Cath would be giving you if she were here, so please go home and rest."

He tried to shake his head but she held it still. "Just by looking at you, I can tell you're running on fumes. Until you regroup and get some rest, you won't be of _**any**_ use to her and when we find her, _**you**_ are what she's going to need. Please take care of yourself."

They stared at each other until he finally conceded, lowering his eyes in defeat. "OK. I'll go home." After a beat, he added, "For now."

"That's good," she replied, standing back up. "Because if you didn't, my next call would be to Dwayne. And we both know he would kick your butt seven different ways."

"Dwayne's a pussy cat. And you can tell him I said so."

"OK, who's Dwayne?" Danny asked.

"My husband. Six foot eight and two hundred seventy pounds of pure muscle Army Ranger. Steve's scared of him."

"Am not."

She laughed and held her hand on Steve's back when he stood up. "Steve's right… he _**is**_ a pussy cat."

"You think you can walk to the car?" Danny asked him.

"I'm OK."

"Yeah, yeah. Can you make it to the car?" he asked again.

Steve nodded and reached for the bathroom door, finding Tyler on the other side.

"I've taken the liberty of bringing the Jeep around to the entrance, Commander." He walked by Steve's side toward the door, not hovering, but close enough for damage control should it be needed.

"Steve said he called in a favor for Tyler's help," Danny said to Holly. "Any chance we can keep him?"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Housekeeping: First, thanks to all of you for the well wishes for our new baby, Kate! She is certainly a cutie. I have had the pleasue of spending her first week with her, but had to come back home tonight. Her big brother wasn't too happy that Nana had to leave town either. I already miss them both!**_

_**Second, I truthfully admit that I am woefully behind once again on thanks to all of your kind reviews. Please know that I have read each one of them and appreciate your comments. I *will* get better... I do promise.**_

_**Third, thank you to Sockie1000 and Sym64 along with tgiKelly and Sherry57. You are my lights at the end of the tunnel on some very crazy days! You can't realize how much I appreciate you and enjoy seeing emails from each of you. Oh... and you're pretty great betas, too. :)**_

_**oh... one more thing... I promise we will soon get around to seeing Catherine.**_

~~~H50~~~

'_**Uhane, Chapter 6**_

_**By Cokie**_

~~~H50~~~

Steve started to get into the Jeep with the ensign, but hesitated before turning toward Danny. "I'm- ah, I don't think I can get out of the Camaro so Tyler can drop me off at home."

Danny nodded. "Well, I _**know**_ you can't climb out of the Camaro right now. Besides, I have a stop to make before I get to your house." He turned to look at Tyler, adding, "I know he's your superior officer and you would probably jump off a cliff if he asked you to, but can I trust you to take him home and not listen if he wants to go on some wild goose chase or something?"

Tyler grinned. "Not to worry, Sir. We'll be there before you arrive."

"Does _**any**_one see me sitting right here?" Steve mumbled as Tyler climbed behind the driver's seat.

"Someone's got to watch out for you," Danny replied, stepping away from the curb as the Jeep pulled away.

~~~H50~~~

When Danny arrived at Steve's house, he let himself in. The downstairs was quiet, so Danny grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took prescription bottles from the bag. He headed upstairs, prepared to knock on the partially opened door to Steve's bedroom.

Steve was seated on the side of the bed wearing board shorts and a stretched out Navy SEAL shirt while arguing with Tyler who was holding the sling. "Don't want that. It's a pain in the butt to take on and off and I can do just as well without it."

"That may be true," the young man diplomatically agreed. "But my orders were to 'do whatever you need' and personally, Sir, I believe you need to wear the sling."

"I second that vote," Danny added, coming into the room.

"Not a democracy," Steve muttered in reply.

"And nobody made you king, either. Wear the sling. And when you're done, you've got some pills to take." Danny showed him the bottles. "Something for pain and another for nausea… that you _**will**_ take so I don't have to clean up anything gross."

"You went to the hospital?" Steve asked with a glare.

"I did, thank you very much. Dr. Mason says 'hi' by the way. He also said that he wants you resting, so instead of getting up, why don't you just climb in there? After you take these, that is." He handed Steve the pills and they had a staring match while he waited for Steve to put them in his mouth. "I am not going away, so you might as well take them."

Danny didn't understand Steve's reply since it was in a language unknown to him, but he assumed it was a comment on his parentage. Which didn't faze him one bit.

But Steve tossed the pills into his mouth and reached for the bottle of water, glaring at his partner the entire time. "So help me, if these knock me out…"

"The pills are for pain, Steven. And while you _are_ a pain on a daily basis, right now you are _in_ pain." He added in a quieter voice, "So, while you have the chance, just rest, OK?"

Steve gave in and then nodded, turning to Tyler. "Thank you for your help today, Ensign Grant."

"The pleasure was mine, Sir. If you don't need anything further, I should probably get the Jeep back to Motor Pool."

"Tell your Mom I said hi."

"Will do, Sir."

Tyler nodded to Danny. "I assume you have the next watch?" he asked with a grin as he headed toward the hall.

"Yeah, wait up a second." Danny watched as Steve laid down on his right side, hugging his injured arm tightly. "Steve, I'll be right back after I see Tyler out. Do you need anything else?"

"No, not now."

"OK, don't move." With that, Danny raced down the stairs. He needed some answers.

~~~H50~~~

Tyler was standing at the front door when Danny reached the living room. "I just wanted to say thank you for taking care of Steve today," Danny told the young man.

"As I said, it was my pleasure," Tyler replied. "My family owes a huge debt of gratitude to the commander. What little I did today doesn't begin to cover it."

"OK," Danny began, pursing his lips before continuing. "Can you tell me just _**how**_ Steve called in a favor with the Navy and got his own personal chauffeur for the day?" With a grin, he added, "Or is that a deep, dark Navy secret that will never see the light of day?"

"Don't think it's a secret," Tyler grinned with him. "Back in '08, Steve and his team rescued my father from Libya. He was severely injured but they brought him home. We owe the commander big time."

"So, Steve just called you up and said he needed help?"

Tyler smiled again. "No, Sir. He called my dad… Captain James Grant. He's one of the officers in charge of Pearl-Hickam. Dad is the one who called me."

"Steve saved the life of the head guy at Pearl?"

"Yes, he did. So, like I said, we owe him big time." Tyler got into the Jeep, grinning as he confided, "I'm glad he chose today to ask for my help. It got me out of inventorying a month's worth of food in storage."

Danny laughed with him and shook the young man's hand. "Nice meeting you, Ensign Grant."

"Likewise. Steve has always been a hero to me. I joined the Navy to be like my Dad, but I'm going to be a SEAL to follow in the commander's footsteps."

Danny was in awe. "Well, you've got a good role model," was all he could say. He watched Tyler drive away and realized that the longer he knew his partner, the less he knew _**about**_ him. He also wondered just how many more stories like Tyler's there were that he would _never_ know about.

~~~H50~~~

Danny stopped in the doorway to Steve's room sometime later. Steve hadn't moved from when he laid down on the pillow. Quietly, he asked, "Hey... you awake?"

Steve opened his eyes and sighed. "Yeah, Danny, my brain won't turn off long enough to let me sleep."

He moved further into the room, hands in his pockets. "I understand. Look, Chin just called. He and Kono are on their way and they've got some new—"

"What?" Steve pushed himself into a sitting position. "Tell me."

"Calm down… they haven't told _me_ yet… so be patient. What I wanted to know is whether you want to set up shop here or if you want to go back downstairs."

"Down. Let's go." He quickly stood up.

Danny grabbed onto Steve's arm, watching while Steve's face blanched once again. "Whoa. Sit back down."

Steve swallowed convulsively, but didn't budge. "No, it's OK. Just a head rush." He opened his eyes and saw Danny's concerned face staring at him. "Don't look at me like that, Danno. I'm OK."

"Yes, I can certainly see just how OK you are, Steven. I mean, it is _so _plain to see."

Steve motioned toward the bathroom. "I'll be down in a minute. Stop worrying."

"That, my friend, is much easier said than done." Even though he didn't want to leave Steve alone, he decided not to argue, but went to wait for him downstairs.

The front door opened before he reached the living room and Chin and Kono came in, Chin carrying his iPad and Kono, her laptop. "Where to?" Kono asked.

"Not sure. Steve is coming down, let him decide."

"How is he?" Chin asked.

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "He was lying down, but didn't sleep, so he's been up there worrying for the last couple of hours. I'm guessing he's plotting revenge on whoever did this."

"Damn right," Steve said while slowly coming down the stairs. "Danny, where's my phone? Holly's supposed to call."

Danny took the phone out of his pocket. "She did and will be here in about 45 minutes. I was hoping you would sleep, so I confiscated it." He placed it in Steve's outstretched hand and then asked, "Where to?"

"Let's go outside," Steve decided. "The WiFi is good out there and you can set up on the table."

They nodded and Kono led the way, Danny bringing up the rear, watching Steve. "Do you need anything? Did the pills help at all?"

Steve glanced at him and replied, "The shoulder feels better but my head feels like there's a bongo player in there trying to get out."

"I always said your head was a scary place," Danny replied, lightly slapping him on the back. "I'll be there in a second."

When Danny came outside, Steve was seated on a chase on the lanai and Chin and Kono were seated at the nearby table while Kono was connecting to the wi-fi. Danny handed his partner a bottle of water and then plopped a pillow into Steve's lap. "Doc said to rest your arm on a pillow when you're sitting up to take the strain of the sling off your shoulders."

"You and that Doc must have had quite the conversation," Steve muttered.

"That we did, my friend. And while part of him was very pissed at you, he also said that he was surprised you even stuck around for a couple of hours. Apparently he had already told the staff not to panic if you disappeared sometime during the day."

Steve made a face. "I need to work on that. Can't be predictable."

"And he also said you needed to ice the shoulder two or three times a day both today and tomorrow. So here," he handed Steve a baggie filled with ice cubes. "Ice away."

"OK, I'm set," Kono told them.

Steve set down the ice and asked, "What do you have?"

Danny retrieved the bag and set it on his partner's shoulder before sitting down near Kono.

"Well, first," Chin began, "Beau Nordhoff _**was**_ involved in a fatal car accident in September of '07."

"So he is dead?" Steve asked.

Chin shook his head. "Not so fast. The accident occurred in Encinitas when the car went off the cliff on Highway 101. One body was found, the passenger, Brittany Sanders. The car was registered to Nordhoff and his wallet and phone were found in the wreckage. But his _body_ was never found. At the time, it was presumed he was ejected from the car and the current carried it to sea."

"So, he _could_ be alive?" Danny asked.

"It's very possible," Chin replied. "Given what else we know, it's highly likely. Cuz, you take over."

"What did you find?" Steve asked, looking at Kono, his hand over his eyes while he squinted in the late afternoon sunlight.

"Just a sec," Danny stopped them. "You OK?" he asked.

Steve gave a slight nod. "Yeah, but the sun's bright. Would you care—"

"I saw your sunglasses on the desk. Hang tight." Danny returned moments later and handed the shades to him.

"Thanks." He winced when he touched the wound over his ear, but added, "Wow, that's better. OK, sorry, Kono."

She smiled at him. "Well, it appears that Ms. Sanders' family challenged the accident report. The records show that Brittany had taken a restraining order out on Beau a month before. Her family called for an inquest after the police called it an accidental death. It then came out she was strangled before the accident."

"But—" Danny began, and she held up her hand to stop him.

"The coroner found water in her lungs during the autopsy, so she was still alive when she went into the water. He signed off on 'death by drowning' on the death certificate. But after the case was challenged a couple days later, the coroner went back to the body for evidence. They found bruises around her neck that were consistent with fingerprints. They deduced that Beau had strangled her until she passed out and then maybe he freaked, thinking she was dead. Got her in the car and staged the accident."

"And if that is the case," Chin added, "My guess is that he managed to make it to Mexico. Maybe he had help getting there or, if the accident really was an accident, he could have swam to land and caught a ride."

They couldn't see Steve's reaction behind the dark lenses and he remained quiet for a few beats. "And I'm sure someone from home would have told him about the inquest. He was on the run. But why come back now? And why target Cath over something that happened years ago."

"We'll have to ask him that when we find him," Chin replied.

They heard car doors slamming in front of the house, so Danny went to the front door to let the lieutenants in, showing them through the house to the lanai.

"How are you doing, Steve?" Holly immediately asked, her concern showing on her face.

"Sore," he admitted. "But I'm OK. Holly, this is the rest of my team, Detective Chin Ho Kelly and Officer Kono Kalakaua."

They exchanged pleasantries and then she introduced her friend to them. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Lieutenant Jen Foster. Steve, I'm not sure if you have met?"

"I think so, a few years ago at… Cath's birthday party."

"In Norfolk, I think," Jen replied with a smile. "I remember Catherine pushing you out on the dance floor."

"OK, lieutenant," he told her with a grin. "Some things should remain 'need to know'."

"I don't know," Danny interrupted. "That could be a good story. Maybe we can talk later," he told Jen, "so start thinking of all the dirt you have, all right?"

"I wouldn't go there, Danno. I'm sure Grace would gladly spill some 'dirt' on you."

"And he _**is**_ still my superior," Jen reminded him with a smile toward Danny.

"Can't say I didn't try," he told her, then switched gears in the conversation. "Lt. Foster, can you tell us anything about Beau Nordhoff?" Danny asked. "Do you think it _**was**_ him you saw last week?"

She sighed and turned back to Steve. "Commander, I am so sorry this happened. Maybe if I had acted last week, all this could have been avoided."

"Not your fault," Steve assured her. "Just tell us what you saw."

Both women took a seat and Jen began, "At the time, I didn't think that much about it because I would have sworn Beau was dead. In fact, I told Holly it had to have been his 'Uhane… his ghost… but I'm not so sure now. I was in Home Depot on Pakaula Street this past Tuesday and was going down the aisle looking for a rope for a tire swing. I glanced at the guy next to me and almost turned to stare at him when I realized who he looked like. He glanced over and saw me and then moved down the aisle."

"Do you think he could have recognized you?" Danny asked.

"I don't think so. I mean, it has been six years or more since I've seen him and I only knew him through Cath. I doubt he would recognize me, and besides, I was in civvies. But… the more I think about it, the more I'm sure it was Beau. I remember he had that acne scar on his cheek and this guy had it, too. But, what's important is what was in his cart."

"Go on," Danny prodded.

"He was looking at a long roll of cable… the kind that has the inside made of wire. And there were a couple big rolls of duct tape."

Steve wanted to hit something or to yell at the top of his voice. Or both. Instead he breathed through his nose and slowly let it out, knowing that all eyes were on him. Finally, he composed himself enough to speak. "Chin, you've got to find out if this SOB is on the island."

"Working on it, Brah. Just sent an email to Duke to send a unit to the Home Depot and pull their video from Tuesday. We have his Navy photo, but that was taken several years ago. With any luck, we can get a decent new picture and run it through facial recognition. We can also check airport footage and maybe find out when he arrived."

"Good work," Danny said while watching Kono head into the house.

She returned a moment later with a banana that she had half-peeled and held it out toward Steve. "I'm going to guess that you haven't eaten anything today and you need something in your stomach."

He took off his sunglasses now that the sun had dipped below the horizon. "Thanks, but not now."

"Come on, just a couple of bites, Steve. I'm going to order pizza, but you need something else in your stomach."

He conceded and reached for the banana. "I don't want pizza, but my wallet is in there somewhere, so take my credit card."

Kono squeezed his good shoulder as she reached for her phone. "We got it, Boss." she assured him and then asked what everyone wanted. She received a chorus of, "anything is fine," from three people.

Then Danny popped up with, "You know what I _don't_ want."

After she had taken her seat again at the table, Danny broached the question on their minds. "OK, I've been dying to ask, but what did you do to make Nordhoff hate you so much?"

Steve dropped his head back onto the chaise. "It's a long story," he said, sighing as he did so. "But a fair question."

He was interrupted by Holly. "How about if I start telling it and you jump in where you want. I'm sure we have different viewpoints so we can compare what we know."

Steve agreed. "Great. Go ahead."

"Pizza will be here soon," Kono told them. "Can we take a break for a few minutes and eat, Boss? Then we can begin again."

"Kono, I'm OK, you don't have to—"

"OK, didn't want to bring this up, but *I* for one, could use a bathroom break. And we can get drinks and plates for the pizza. How about it?"

Steve twisted in the chaise in order to get to his feet. Seeing his discomfort, Kono held out her arm for him to grab, pulling him up. He grinned and said, "I will never deny you a bathroom break, Kono."

"That's good, because I think there are laws against that," she told him, her arm around his waist. They walked into the house and she added, "Wish you would eat something."

"Yeah, I will, but just not now. Since we're taking a break, I'm going upstairs for a few minutes."

Steve entered his bedroom and sat on the side of the bed, looking at the place Catherine had been lying earlier in the morning. If her kidnapper truly was Beau Nordhoff, Steve fully knew the man was taunting him. And he also knew there would be a confrontation. And the stakes were high.

The stakes were Catherine.

But whatever happened, he would fight to the death if need be, if that was the only way to keep her safe.

~~~H50~~~


	7. Chapter 7

_**OK, we will begin with a glimpse of Catherine. That is what you have continued to ask for. Unfortunately, it isn't a lot... yet. :)**_

'_**Uhane, Chapter 7**_

_**By Cokie**_

After his surprise visit earlier in the day, Beau had only laughed then turned around and walked out, leaving Cath alone. He hadn't even spoken. Another man had brought her a bottle of water and some fruit sometime in the afternoon, but she had no appetite. Catherine had spent her time waiting, either sitting on the bed or pacing the small space her tethered ankle would allow. And her thoughts once again returned to Steve, as they had numerous times throughout the day.

_Was he injured badly? In the hospital? Or at work, driving everyone crazy?_

They had thought Beau was dead. How would Steve ever figure out that he wasn't dead and come looking for her? How would he find her when she was somewhere in the damn jungle?

Well, one thing was for sure. She wasn't going to wait around like a damsel in distress. She had tried to pull the bed closer to the window, but the iron bed frame didn't even budge. She didn't know if it was just that heavy or if it was somehow bolted to the floor. But either way, it wasn't going anywhere.

Unable to see outside, she listened for anything that would clue her in to the house's location. At times during the day, she had heard hushed voices and some laughter, but nothing distinct. Other than that, things were quiet. Deathly quiet; and the silence caused her nervous energy to escalate. Periodically a generator would run and for that, she was grateful as it pushed cooler air through the vent near the ceiling. But after hours of listening, she had nothing.

So she waited. For what, she didn't know. She didn't even have a watch to check the time, but as the afternoon wore on and the shadows increased outside, she knew it was around six, nearing sunset. Once the sun was down, the room was plunged into darkness; from her small view of the window she could see a few stars, but inside the room, all the illumination she had was from the small crack at the bottom of the door.

Catherine had thought she heard a vehicle start up, but she couldn't even confirm that. _Am I alone?_

The thought slammed into her like a knife. _What if he left me here to die?_

And as much as she hated the thought, she then realized that maybe she was a damsel in distress after all.

_I miss you, Commander. _She smiled at the thought of his rank rather than his name; their own little private joke. Then her smile faded.

_Come find me._

_Please._

~~~H50~~~

The empty pizza boxes were tossed into the recycle bin and the group moved into the house, settling in the living area.

Once everyone had found a seat, Danny looked at Holly. "OK, I guess you have the floor if you're ready."

She nodded and looking to Steve for permission, she began. "In the beginning of 2007, Cath and I went for training at Coronado and met Beau at a mixer on base. He was immediately drawn toward Cath, and he was, for the most part, fun to be around. He was from Louisiana and had that southern drawl and a quick smile, and was pretty likable but when something didn't go his way he could change in a heartbeat." She took a drink and then continued, "He asked her out near the end of January, I think and she told him she wasn't comfortable dating a colleague, so she turned him down. He kept badgering her every day and they finally went out. Their first date was for Valentine's Day."

"How'd that work out?" Kono asked.

"She hated it. Said all he could talk about was himself and how great he was and in what good shape he was… which, trust me, he wasn't, and what a good catch he was… on and on. He was bragging that he would be at the top of the next SEAL class and she would be a fool not to fall in love with him." Holly shook her head. "Only she was so turned off, she vowed to never go out with him again. He would call all the time and finally she got hold of the work roster and would purposely take on extra shifts on the days he would be off so that she had a reason to _not_ go out with him."

"That's big time harassment," Kono added.

"Yes, it was," Jen agreed. "And we tried to get her to report it, but Cath said she could handle it and didn't want to make waves."

Danny grinned. "That's a Navy joke, right? Making waves?"

"Least you didn't say it was an Army joke," Steve told him. "And Catherine refused to report Nordhoff because she thought he was harmless."

"Right," Holly continued. "But then he caused a scene outside our barracks one evening when she asked him to leave. He started screaming and called her every name you could imagine. A couple guys told him if he didn't back off they would call the MA. He calmed down and left, then apologized the next day with flowers, begging her to forgive him. He said, 'all I want is one more date to prove to you that I'm a nice guy'."

"And?" Danny asked.

"There was this bar near base where we went to dance or sometimes play pool. We had planned to go there on Friday night, so she agreed to meet him there… _**not**_ as a date, but she agreed to hang out. There were a lot of us with her and we were going to watch him like a hawk because we didn't trust him." She paused for another drink and then grinned. "But… around this same time, Catherine had met a young lieutenant that she was more than infatuated with, but when _**he**_ asked her out, she still said no."

"Ah," Danny said. "The plot thickens. Wait…" he turned to Steve. "So, you really did strike out?" He shook his head and grinned. "Man, if Smooth Dog got shot down, how can the rest of us even have a chance?"

"I eventually wore her down," Steve replied, giving them a sheepish grin.

"Yeah," Holly added. "And it wasn't that she _didn't_ want to date you, she just had all these rules for herself. But I'm really glad you were there at the bar that night. There's no telling what would have happened to her if you hadn't intervened."

Steve took over the story-telling. "Cath and a lot of her friends were already there when we arrived. I came in with a couple of guys to play pool and saw her, so I went over and said 'hi'."

"Flirting," Kono said.

"I wasn't flirting," he argued.

"Well, _**she**_ was flirting, you big lug!" Holly told him, nudging his leg with her foot. "Big time. All of us had set her down and told her she was stupid for not going out with you and that if _**she**_ didn't drop her rule about not dating co-workers and let you know she was interested, we would. "

"So that was why she turned me down?"

Holly added, "Of course. Well, that and Beau. He was there when we got to the bar and came to our table, really being a jerk. He had already started drinking and was on the way to being tanked. He wanted to dance and ordered her to get up and jerked her arm. She told him she had agreed to see him, but hadn't promised him a dance and she wasn't going to dance until he sobered up."

Steve's relatively-good mood disappeared. "Yeah, Beau." He continued recollecting the story. "I had seen him around; my team was there for yearly drills and I heard he was a hot head who hadn't passed the SEAL endurance test...twice. So anytime he had the opportunity, he would make snide remarks to those of us who were SEALS. Honestly, I didn't think he was worth the time of day. But he was there that night, almost like a stalker."

He swallowed, his eyes narrowing. "Watching Catherine. While the other guys were playing a game of pool, I bought her a drink and we stood near the pool tables, talking while they played. She kept her eye on Beau and I could tell she was pretty nervous. She finally told me how he had acted, so I kept track of him, too."

"Beau was at the bar, by this time drinking whiskey. He couldn't keep his eyes off Catherine and we kept our eyes on him," Holly added.

Steve continued. "My friends called me to play the winner, so I asked Cath to stay there and guard my drink. She was next to the pool table when Beau came over. He started saying how she had promised to meet him but 'dissed him' and apparently stood him up to hook up with a SEAL. I remember she asked him to calm down but instead he got in her face and said that he never took her to be a Frog Hog*, but she was a slut just like the rest of them. I started... well, I got pretty pissed, and was heading over to them, but she motioned me away. Beau yelled, _'All I want is one dance, but you won't even do that, will you?'_ He kept getting louder and she set down her drink and said she would dance with him._ 'One dance and then I have to go.'_ She looked at her friends and they confirmed that they _**did**_ have to leave."

"That was our pre-set cue," Holly explained. "In case he got too obnoxious. It just didn't work out like we planned."

"Anyway, I was trying to watch the dance floor and he kept putting his hands in places she didn't want them and I was ready to break the pool cue over his head," Steve explained. "They were dancing along the edge of the floor and all of a sudden, I looked up after my play and didn't see her."

"We noticed, too," Holly added. "It happened so fast. All of a sudden Cath was gone. One of us went out the front door and I checked the ladies room."

"I came down the hall, saw Holly come out of the bathroom, and I checked the men's room," Steve told them. "It was empty, but the back door was right there at the end of the hall. Holly and I went that way and ended up in the alley behind the bar. Didn't see anything, but then we heard her." Steve stopped talking and took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring in anger.

Holly decided to continue. "He had her a couple of doors down, behind a dumpster. She was fighting with everything she had, but Beau was too strong for her. He was the same height as Catherine, but he's stocky and thick. He easily had both of her hands pinned above her head against the concrete wall, his knee was between her legs and he was fondling her breasts with his other hand. Steve… well, he took care of him."

"For some reason, I was still carrying the pool cue, so I used it," he told them in a low voice. "He had already ripped her shirt and had his hand…" Steve swallowed convulsively before continuing, "he wasn't going to stop. I hit him in the side of the head-" he stopped again and a look of understanding crossed his face. He looked up and stared at Danny.

"You remembered something, didn't you?" Danny asked.

"Yeah… my head's so mixed up, but I should've thought of it before. I used a pool cue and hit him in the side of the head, then when he fell, I popped him in the shoulder with the butt end of the cue. Same thing that happened to me this morning."

"So, you think it was him who did this to you?"

Steve shook his head. "No, neither of the guys in my house were Beau. But that doesn't mean he didn't instigate the kidnapping."

"Well, that MO convinces me that Beau's got to be our man," Danny concluded. "Now we just have to find him."

"And I'm working on that," Chin told them. He had been quiet during the discussion, but now had something to show for it. "Lt. Foster, is this the man you saw at Home Depot?" He turned the laptop so that she could see it.

"That's him," she confirmed. "Look at him, Holly."

Holly nodded, convinced they were searching for the right man. "I can't believe it, but it's him."

Steve glanced at the screen, then muttered, "son of a bitch," beneath his breath, fuming at the thought of this man anywhere near Catherine.

"I couldn't get a good visual inside the store," Chin added. "Looks like he was checking for cameras and kept his head down. Under the bill of that baseball cap, I couldn't get a clean photo. But," he hit a couple computer keys and continued, "He didn't think about cameras in the parking lot. I got this shot as he was putting his bags in the back of the van."

The photo showed him looking at the camera mounted above the light pole in the lot, his face fully visual.

"And would you look at that," Danny commented, with a grin. "He just gave us half his license plate."

"And we are already running it through the DMV database," Chin told them. "We should have a hit soon."

"Thank goodness," Holly breathed.

"Good work, Chin," Steve said. "Mahalo."

Chin shrugged his shoulder, locking gazes with Steve. "We're ohana, Brah. That's what we do."

~~~H50~~~

*Frog Hog: From Urban Dictionary:

A slutty woman who's primary goal is to get her hooks into a Navy SEAL.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

_**By Cokie**_

**_Well, a lot of you have been asking for more Catherine, so here it is. This isn't graphic, but it could be disturbing, so you have been forewarned._ _Hopefully you will see why Catherine never liked Beau._**

**_~~~H50~~~_**

"Danny, we need to be at headquarters," Steve argued.

"No, Steven, you need to be here. Getting some rest. In bed and hopefully sleeping."

"I can't sleep and I can't rest until I find her. We should be there in case-"

"Stop!" Danny made the time out motion with his hands. "Just… please stop and listen for a minute." He laced his fingers behind his head and thought of what he wanted to say. "OK, don't interrupt until I'm finished talking. The van Beau was using is registered to a Warren Mabry. No one is at the address listed on his registration, so HPD is discreetly staking out the house. If he comes home tonight, they'll get him and call us. We can be at Headquarters right after they arrive. Now, if he doesn't happen to come home, we would be sitting there at headquarters… all night long… just waiting, with you driving everyone crazy. That is, until you crashed and burned on the floor, because I'm telling you, Buddy, you've got to get some rest."

"You don't understand," Steve tried again.

"No, see, I _**do**_ understand." Danny paced, gesturing with each comment. "I understand that you were injured this morning and I understand that the woman you love is missing and I understand that right now you have no control over any of this situation. Which is driving you bat-shit crazy. I get it, really I do. But right now, all we can do is wait. You need to take a step back, regroup and begin to let yourself heal. Doc Mason said you needed to rest today and what have you done? Sneaked out of the hospital, went to the Naval Base, hashed and rehashed the case all afternoon and have not gotten any rest at all. Did you ever even eat anything?"

Steve stared at the floor and didn't bother with an answer. The cord along his jawline was throbbing from gritting his teeth for so long. Finally, he quietly spoke, "I never told you I loved her."

Danny's arguments faded when he looked at his partner and saw how exhausted and vulnerable he appeared. He walked over and sat down next to him on the bed. "You didn't have to say anything, you big doofus. Everyone knows," he informed him with a grin. "You aren't as discreet as you think. You may be able to bluff your way through any and every tactical maneuver, but the minute Catherine walks into the room, your eyes light up and you get this goofy grin on your face…"

Steve snorted. "Do not."

"Oh, I think you protest too much. You know it's true. Your eyes follow her every move. Face it, Steven, you are smitten. And that is love." He sensed when the tension left Steve's body and Danny stood up, reaching for a glass of water. "OK, take these pills and lie down. Tomorrow we'll have work to do."

Steve didn't have the energy to fight. Or complain. He didn't even question why there were two pain pills in Danny's hand, but took them both with a swallow of water and lay down.

Danny propped a pillow against his left side to cushion his wounded shoulder. "You need anything else?" he asked, sitting down in the chair.

"No… go home and get some rest. But come get me in the morning."

"I'll go _downstairs_ and get some rest. You're not getting rid of me, so yell if you need anything."

Steve's eyes were quickly losing their focus but he rallied once again. "What the hell did you give me? I feel weird."

Danny grinned. "Doc said to take two of the pain pills when you went to bed tonight. He promised me they would help you relax… how's it working?"

"I hate you."

"That's my line, Partner. And you didn't even question taking them."

Steve closed his eyes. "Danny?"

"Yeah, Babe?"

"I hope she's not scared. I mean, she knows we'll find her, right?"

"She knows," Danny whispered.

Steve's voice continued, although he spoke so softly Danny had to strain to listen. "Did you know she's afraid of the dark? I mean, it isn't something we've ever talked about, but I can tell. She always makes sure the light on the lanai is on when we go to bed. I just… I don't want her to be scared."

"We'll find her, Steve. Soon," he quietly promised. "Now go to sleep."

He did.

~~~H50~~~

Catherine heard the door unlock just before it opened. She quickly sat up on the side of the bed, thankful to see some light come in through the open doorway.

"Ah, you're awake," Beau said, grinning at her. He tossed a black backpack onto the floor and stared down at her. "I sent the boys out for the night, so we have the place all to ourselves." He sat down next to her and stroked her hair with his hand, tucking it behind her ear.

She jerked her head to get away from him and then drew back, moving as far away as she could. "If we're alone, why don't you untie me?"

Her movement thrilled him and he laughed, reaching his arm around her and pulling her closer. "When the time is right, I might just do that, but for right now, I think I have you just where I want you." His hand curled around the back of her neck and he pulled her closer.

"Leave me alone!"

"Oh, I don't think that's gonna happen," he explained before leaning in for a kiss.

Catherine pushed him away and twisted on the bed, ready to fight. "I said 'leave me alone'." Her elbow landed in his rib before he grabbed both of her wrists in his beefy hands and in one quick move, shoved her down on the bed.

"You're gonna have to learn to play nice, Girlie," he warned her, his breath hot on her cheek. "But looks like I'll have to show you some manners." He reached for the backpack and pulled out a set of handcuffs, dangling them in front of her, his smile firmly back in place.

"No!" she said, sliding both hands beneath her on the bed. "The hell you will!" she yelled. Catherine began to kick out with her feet, but he pressed his body against her, pinning her to the bed.

"Too late," he said, "but later if you learn respect I might take them off." He grabbed one arm from behind her and cuffed her wrist, then reached for her other one. She bucked and tried to fight him and again, he laughed at her efforts. He pulled her cuffed arm up to the head of the bed and wrapped the chain around one of the iron bars before cuffing her other hand.

"Now," Beau said, sitting down on the side of the bed. He reached up and patted her cheek. "I'm going to give you a few minutes to calm down. And when I get back, I expect you to show me a sweeter attitude. Give me a little of what you put out to Lt. Commander Smart Ass SEAL."

"Never, and you can go to hell," she screamed at him when he stood and moved to the doorway. She heard his chuckle before the door slammed shut.

Catherine jerked on the handcuff chain a couple of times, but quickly realized that the only thing she would do was rip the skin off her wrists. So she waited in the dark, knowing he would come back.

She just didn't know when.

~~~H50~~~

Beau sat down and drank a beer. Over the last few minutes he realized that all this time, when he had cursed and hated Catherine and the SEAL who had saved her, he thought he _**wanted**_ her. He dreamed about her, sometimes for nights on end. But now… now that he _**had **_her, after seeing her lying helpless in his bed, he realized that more than anything he simply wanted revenge for what they had done to him. Stripping him of his Naval career. The chance to be a SEAL. It was their fault that he had lost everything.

And he wanted them to pay.

He stood up and set down his empty bottle.

Starting right now.

~~~H50~~~

Danny didn't know what had awakened him, but when he checked his phone, it was 2:14 a.m. He listened and didn't hear anything except the ocean. He had kept the TV off so that it wouldn't disturb Steve, hoping that his partner could sleep.

"Probably those stupid waves woke me," he grumbled, untwisting his feet from the sheet. He got up and headed to the bathroom, because listening to the water all night made him have to pee. Just another reason to hate this rock which was surrounded by water!

He listened again at the bottom of the staircase for any sign of noise from upstairs and heard nothing. Danny debated whether to go up or not. If Steve _**was**_ sleeping, he didn't want to wake him. But on the other hand, if his partner needed something, Danny knew the man would never ask. So up he went.

He glanced in the open door to Steve's bedroom and saw that Steve appeared to be sleeping peacefully, softly snoring. That was good; he had been exhausted for hours before he finally conceded and went to bed. Danny thought back to the promises he had made to his partner last night. That they _would_ find Beau and they _would _find Catherine. Safe. He intended to honor that promise, but a small niggling in the back of his mind kept rearing up… _What if we don't get to her? What then?_ He knew that failure in this mission would break Steve.

And that was not acceptable.

They _**would**_ find her. And Beau.

But Danny knew with all his heart that what they found would _**not**_ be pretty.

~~~H50~~~

Beau walked into the bedroom once again, smiling down at the woman on the bed. "Well, have you tamed down yet?" In a quick move, he placed his knee on the bed next to her and then lay down on top of her, the weight of his upper body settling on his elbows. "You're gonna be nice to me, aren't you, Cath? Huh? You're going to like it, aren't you?"

She gritted her teeth. "Don't call me 'Cath'. Whatever you do, I swear I will never like it. And trust me, when Steve finds you, I _**know**_ you won't like what will happen."

"Yeah, Steve. Well, see… here's the plan." He wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger and tugged on it, explaining, "We're going to have some fun together and after that, I'll give good old Steve the opportunity to buy you back. That is… if he still wants you. You never know, he might be choosy about what he wants and you will be… what's the word… soiled? Tainted? He might not even come for you."

"He'll come," she told him with conviction.

Beau slowly lowered his head. "And I'll be waiting," he whispered before his lips crushed against hers.

He jerked back with a yell. 'You bitch, you _**bit**_ me!" He backhanded her and the cut on her lip reopened, blood dribbling into her mouth and down her chin. Another hit across her cheek snapped her head back as he sat up, still on her hips. "I was right, you are nothing but a little slut who thinks she's too good for anyone other than a SEAL." He grabbed the backpack and pulled out a serrated hunting knife and held it against her mouth. "I'll make you a promise right now… you bite me again and I swear I'll cut out your tongue and choke you with it."

He tossed the knife onto the bed and stormed out of the room. Catherine let out her breath, trying to control her shakiness. She didn't want to be afraid of him, but she knew he was fully capable of doing what he said. Her eyes widened when he immediately returned, opening a bottle of water which he poured on her face, washing away the blood. Using a towel he blotted it away then told her to open her mouth.

She stared at him, defiantly.

Beau cursed and warned her again. "I said open your mouth. I'm going to wash out the blood, you idiot." He held the towel against her face and held the bottle until she finally opened her lips so that he could wash out her mouth. He held the towel and ordered her to spit before tossing the towel back on the bed and setting the water on the floor.

"Now, I am going to kiss you again." He picked up the knife and set it on the pillow next to her head. "And just so you know, about your tongue… I did it once… to a whore in Mexico… and I'll do it again and watch you choke. How would you like SEAL-boy Steve to find you drowned in your own blood?"

He laid down on her once again, stretching out fully, his hands holding her head still. He grinned at the fear and defiance in her eyes, then kissed her again.

Catherine kept her mouth still while he tried to mold his mouth against hers. Before long, his tongue forced past her lips but her teeth remained clinched. He yanked on her hair and she involuntarily opened and he quickly took control, his tongue continuing to attack. He soon grew tired of the assault and trailed wet kisses across her jaw line before he began suckling on her earlobe. "You are pretty sweet," he whispered in her ear. "See, I'm not so bad."

She tried to jerk her head away, but he held it tight with both hands, painfully tugging her hair.

"Be nice…" he warned and she stilled. "See, it's much nicer when you relax."

Catherine jerked the chains on the bed and tried to buck him off. "I am _**not**_ relaxed. Get your disgusting filth off of me."

Beau raised up and looked at her, laughing at her tenacity. "You'll change. Trust me."

With some space between them, she managed to bring her untethered leg up and kneed him in the crotch. It wasn't a direct hit, but she got her point across.

Unfortunately.

Beau howled, more in rage than pain and jumped up, slapping her face again. "OK, no more Mr. Nice Guy. You're gonna pay, Girlie. And you're gonna be sorry you ever dissed me." He grabbed the backpack and tossed it on the bed and pulled out more of the rope. He grabbed her ankle and wrapped the coil of reinforced rope around tightly a couple times and then threaded it down to the foot of the bed, anchoring it so that she couldn't move her leg.

She knew it was hopeless, but she tried to kick and jerk her tethered leg, only succeeding in making Beau angrier. She jerked one last time and he gave her leg a quick tug and twist, wrapping the cord around the iron spindle so that she was completely shackled to the bed.

She screamed out, pain traveling up her leg to her hip and Catherine bit her lip to keep from crying. But when he roughly grabbed her ankle and turned it to check for damage, she couldn't stop a tear from escaping.

"It ain't broken, but it's gonna swell." He chuckled. "And I'm guessing it'll hurt like hell with the rope wrapped around on it." He sat back down on the bed, at her side. "But I did warn you and you didn't listen." He reached again for the backpack, feeling around inside it. "And since you are being so uncooperative, I'm not even going to try to be nice."

She tried to see what he was doing, but he was looking in the backpack and then he smiled.

And she knew without a doubt she wasn't going to like what he had planned.

"Here we go," Beau told her, just like they were two friends carrying on a conversation. "You ain't gonna believe this. I know we only went out once or twice, but Catherine I remember everything you said. I was ready to love you and I memorized everything about you." He dangled a long black strip of material in front of her, then stretched it out between his hands, his smile one of glee when he covered her eyes with it.

"NO!" She twisted her head.

He got close to her ear and held her still. "One night, you and a couple of friends were on the beach, looking at the stars. I followed you. Heard you confide to them that you still slept with a light on because you didn't like the dark. You never knew that *I* was there, too, did you? Sitting in the sand up by the lifeguard's stand. And I heard everything. And I remembered… Let's see just how dark it will be tonight… without the light coming in under the door. And we're so far in the jungle that even the stars can't find us." He criss-crossed the strip behind her head and brought the ends back over her eyes, tying them tightly so that no light could penetrate.

Catherine was holding her breath, fear seeping through every pore of her body. Normally she could keep it together, but this was one situation she had no control over and no hope of getting herself out of.

"I'm shocked," Beau said. "You aren't cursing me or promising me that boyfriend is on his way? Cat got your tongue, Baby?"

She lay there and gulped for air, trying not to hyperventilate when she felt him move once again. Immediately his mouth covered hers, his tongue thrusting as far as he could. She couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't stop him, so she melded into the bed, becoming as passive as possible.

And tried to tune him out.

He moved away from her mouth and said, "There, now that's better. A little too late, but better. I feel like having a beer, so I'm going to leave you for a little while, but don't worry, I'll be back. But before I go, let me leave you with another little something." He kissed her again, his tongue passing her lips, but he quickly raised up and before she could close her mouth, he stuffed it with the knot of a gag and then tied it tightly behind her head.

"Be right back," he promised, lightly smacking her on the cheek. "Don't go anywhere."

When he left, Catherine finally cried.

~~~H50~~~

Beau came into the bedroom twice more during the night, but didn't speak to her either time. He didn't have to. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and heard him set down the bottle on the floor, burping as he did so.

She felt the hem of her tee shirt lifted and then heard the knife rip through the fabric from the bottom up to the neckline. He folded the two sides back and trailed his knuckles down her front, down to the waistband of her jeans. And then his tongue traced the same trail before lingering in her belly button. He moved again and the knife separated the shoulder seam from the arm up to her neck, first on one side and then the other. With that, her upper body was only covered by her lacy, beige bra.

He laid the knife on her bare stomach and rubbed both hands up and down her sides, stopping at her bra. He played with the straps as he kissed her shoulder. He took his time exploring her body with both his hands and his mouth before moving down to the end of the bed. The knife then ripped her jeans from the ankle, up past her knee and thigh, all the way to the waistband before repeating with the other leg. He held onto the ripped material and pulled the jeans away from her body, tossing them aside. He then tugged the shirt away so that she lay on the bed wearing nothing but her underwear.

His fingers pressed against Catherine's injured ankle and she jumped, a sound of pain gurgling in her throat. He continued his examination of her legs, first the outside, up to her hip, tracing around her panties and then down the inside of her leg, only to repeat on the opposite leg.

He then sat down next to her, picked up the bottle and drank his scotch.

Beau was tired.

And he had no desire to play this game anymore. So he picked up the knife and wanted her to know he was still there, still watching. He used the tip and slowly drew it down her skin, scratching, but not drawing blood. He then laid it back on her stomach and left the room.

Catherine waited in the total darkness in absolute fear. Her tears had soaked into the black material, her mouth was dry around the knotted gag and she was sucking in air through her nose. Her head was pounding and her ankle throbbed with each beat of her heart. But the absolute panic she felt was because she knew what would come the next time he came into the room.

She felt the weight of the knife against her skin and shivered, knowing it was futile to try and get it. Her wrists were raw from yanking on the cuffs. Catherine knew why he had placed the knife on her… as intimidation. To taunt her… letting her know that finally she was at his mercy.

And she was totally helpless to do anything.

Except lay there and wait.

And hope and pray that Steve could figure this out.

Because never in her life had she needed… or wanted… him more.

~~~H50~~~

Page **8** of **8**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

_**By Cokie**_

_**Once again I apologize for the lack of consistency in properly thanking you for your reviews. Please know that I have read each and every one of them and am thankful for your continued comments and kind words. I appreciate each one of you whether you just read, comment or send accolades. Sometimes, you just make my day! And again, thanks to my betas who are the world's best with sharing their ideas, comments, changes, etc. Mahalo to you!**_

_**And, just another note. I know some of you were squigged out by what happened in the last chapter. I assure you that is the only chapter of that nature and I don't want to change the story's rating for one chapter. The last time I did that, I lost half the readers. That is why I posted the warning that the chapter was more of an adult nature.**_

**~~~H50~~~**

_Danny stood in the open doorway of the Dunkin Donuts on Hudson Place in Hoboken savoring the smell of the coffee wafting through the small store. The place was known for the best coffee around and he stopped there whenever possible for a tall cup to go. _

_And this morning, Janine even had it ready and waiting for him. Service with a smile._

"Hey, Danno, get a move on!"

His dream stopped when his arm was jostled. Startled, he opened his eyes.

And Janine and her coffee were suddenly 5,000 miles away. Instead, he was staring into the frustrated face of Steve McGarrett. Danny swung his legs off the couch and ran his hands through his hair before reaching for the offered coffee cup.

"You interrupted a great dream, Steven."

"Yeah, well, sorry, but hurry up. I've already talked to Chin and they have something for us."

Danny took another sip and stood, setting the coffee cup on the table and reaching for his pants. "Did they find Warren?"

"Not sure, but he said they made progress and he needs to talk to us."

Danny reached for his coffee once again and moved toward the bathroom examining Steve as he did so. "You seem to be feeling better," he commented. "Although the colors on your face are quite impressive."

Steve grimaced at the reference to his bruises. "I'm good to go. Must've slept pretty solid last night because I don't remember a thing."

"Good, you needed it. …And I'm proud of you," Danny said and directed his waving hands in Steve's direction. "Wearing the sling and all."

"Get a move on, Danny. We've got work to do. Where's the car keys?"

"In my pocket," Danny yelled back to him. "And your concussed body is not getting behind the wheel of my car, so cool your heels." Danny firmly closed the bathroom door, forcing Steve to impatiently wait.

~~~H50~~~

Less than half an hour later, they walked through the glass doors of headquarters, finding Chin working at the smart table.

"Hey, guys," he called to them as they walked in. Glancing at Steve, he commented. "You look better."

"Yeah, thanks. So… what do you have?"

"I'll fill you in when Kono gets back," Chin explained. "She's on her way."

"Do you have this Warren guy in custody?" Steve asked, impatiently rocking on his heels.

"Not just yet. That's what we need to talk to you about. HPD found his van last night at the _Rende Vuu_ on Sand Island—"

"Sounds classy," Danny said with a grin. Any further comment was stifled by his partner's agitated voice.

"Was he there?" Steve interrupted, running his hand through his already tousled hair while beginning to pace. "Why didn't you arrest him and call me?"

"I had a good reason for that," Chin replied.

"Come on, sit down," Danny urged Steve, reaching for a chair.

"Danny, I don't need to sit down," Steve argued, although he began to cradle his left arm with his right, massaging a spot on his left biceps as he paced. "Come on, Chin, why isn't Mabry staring at the walls in the Blue Room right now?"

"OK, Steve, listen," Chin began to speak calmly. "When HPD found him in the bar, he was with someone else – not Nordhoff. We sent someone in undercover in hopes of finding more information, hoping they might leak something. Think about it, Steve, we can toss him in the Blue Room and he may never talk. When he lawyered up, we would still be clueless. This way, we got close to them. And—"

"Got it!" He was interrupted as Kono hit the front door, almost running. "Hey, Boss, hey, Danny," she greeted them, a huge smile on her face. She carried a file and set it on the table, telling Chin, "Fong's sending the prints to you now. I've got copies already." She turned to Steve. "We got some info, Boss."

Danny continued to stare at her. "Kono… is your hair… pink?"

She reached for her bangs and brushed them back from her eyes. "Yeah, Dude, got a problem with that?"

Steve stared as well. "Guys, just _**who**_ went undercover at the bar?"

Kono replied, "Um… that would be me," she said, again grinning at them. "And the pink hair is me getting into character at a racy… although really cheesy… bar.

"And here we have them," Chin said, pulling up two photos from last night and the accompanying DMV photos. "Looks like Warren has a cousin named Gordon Washle."

Steve moved closer to the screens hanging from the ceiling and started to point at Warren's photo on the bottom left. Even movement of his right arm aggravated the left, so he once again cradled the injured one and nodded toward the photo. "Look at his nose – he's got to be the guy Cath popped in the face. He had on a black mask, but when he touched it his fingers came away wet with blood."

"I asked him how he hurt it and Gordon snickered and said he ran into the door. Warren wasn't too happy about being laughed at," Kono told them.

"What'd you do?" Danny asked. "Get their prints from the bar glasses?"

"Yep," she said proudly. "Pretty easily, in fact. They were already drunk when I showed up. And they were in a chatty mood."

"So what'd you find out?" Steve asked.

"Not a whole lot," she admitted. "Like I said, they were tanked by the time I met them. But we have a tracker on their van and undercover guys watching the house they drove to after leaving the bar. I do know they are waiting on someone to do something. Warren said more than once that he wondered what the next step would be. He was waiting for a phone call and kept checking his phone for messages. I tried but wasn't able to get his number."

"You mean this number?" Chin asked after his magical fingers traveled across the smart table. He pulled up the call list and checked, not seeing anything that would stand out. Chin shook his head in frustration. "Nothing standing out on this phone, so I'm guessing they are using burners."

Kono could see the frustration on Steve's face. "Boss, we'll get them as soon as they make a move."

He nodded and looked at his three friends. "Yeah, I know. And… thanks."

Chin continued to work the computer. "Well, Gordon isn't squeaky clean… look at this rap sheet." They looked at the list of misdemeanors and felonies he was charged with. "Let me dig further and see what else we can learn about Gordon."

"Let me know what you find," Steve said. "I'm going to go check my emails."

The other three were huddled around the computer when less than a minute later they heard a loud expletive a beat before something hit the inside glass window. Turning they caught a glimpse of Steve's cell phone bounce off the glass.

Danny raced toward the office and watched as Steve gave the file tray a shove. It toppled to the floor, the papers on it floating down as well. The bronze seal paper weight was next, hitting the floor with a clang. When Danny opened the door, he stared at his partner seeing his red face, heaving chest and his eyes filled with pure rage.

"Steve? Are you-? What—?"

"I'm going to kill him," Steve roared, slamming the knuckles of his right hand onto the wooden desk. "Danny, I swear—"

Danny walked closer to him as Chin and Kono entered. Chin reached down and picked up Steve's cellphone… and reattached the back to the front.

"Calm down, Steve. What happened?" Danny asked again.

Steve raised his fist once again to hit the desk, but Danny grabbed his wrist. "You already have one arm in a sling… you wanna go two for two? Come here, sit down."

He jerked away from Danny and turned to face the window, running his hand through his hair and down his neck. He stared outside, seeing nothing, trying to slow his breathing enough so that he could even speak.

Danny reached down and grabbed the bronze seal statue with both hands and hauled it back to the desk top, wondering how Steve had swept it off the desk so easily with only one hand. Setting it back where it belonged, he moved closer to his partner. Steve hadn't yet turned on his computer, so Danny knew he hadn't received any disturbing emails.

"So, what got you all riled up?" As he asked, he heard Kono gasp from behind him and turned to look at her and Chin.

Chin had put the phone back together and he and Kono were staring at it, before Chin raised his eyes to meet Danny's. He shook his head and slowly extended his arm for Danny to see.

Danny glanced first at Steve and then at the picture displayed in the text. Catherine was blindfolded and gagged, bound to a bed by her wrists and feet. His mouth suddenly went dry… and he could only imagine what Steve was feeling. He moved closer to the leather couch and stood next to Steve. "He's taunting you, don't let him win, OK? We'll find her."

"He's dead, Danny. I swear, he's dead."

"OK, OK, I understand," Danny calmly assured him as he placed one hand on Steve's back. "But we've got work to do to find him. He wants you off-balance, so don't let him get to you. Just calm—"

Steve whirled around. "Did you _**see**_ that?" he asked, pointing toward the phone still in Chin's hand. "And you want me to calm down?" His voice continued to increase with each word before he was stopped by Chin.

"Hey, we have another text," Chin told them, holding up the phone and reading the message. "She's yours for $250,000. Slightly tarnished. Details to follow."

Steve listened to the message, trying to calm down his racing mind so that he could think clearly.

"It's probably a burner," Chin said, "but let me trace it. Just sit tight for a couple of minutes."

"Thanks, Chin," Danny nodded to him and motioned for them to leave the office to give Steve some space. Danny quietly stood next to his partner, watching the emotions splay across his face before he finally managed to get them under control. Kono had snuck back in and handed a bottle of water to Danny which he gratefully accepted, uncapping it before handing it to Steve.

"Here, Babe. Drink something."

Steve reached out a shaking hand and accepted the bottle, staring at it like he didn't know what to do with it.

Danny swiveled the desk chair around and ordered, "Sit," placing his hand on Steve's uninjured shoulder.

Steve dropped into the seat, still holding the water bottle.

Danny leaned against the desk and nudged Steve's hand upward. "Come on, Partner, you're scaring me here. Drink."

"Danny, I swear, I've got to find her. Beau is crazy." He took a swallow of the water and nearly gagged, then began coughing. He grimaced as pain from the coughing fit coursed throughout his damaged body. He set down the bottle and dropped his head into his open palm, taking deep gulps of air.

"You gonna be OK?"

"Yeah, dizzy." After a few moments he leaned back into his leather chair. "I'm OK," he assured his partner, then quickly switched gears once again. "Danny, you saw the picture… God, I have to get her out of there."

"We will. With all of us working together. We'll get her, Steve. You're not in this alone. You got that?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah. I know. But how—"

"Hey!" Chin called to them, motioning them to come out. "We may have something."

Danny stood up and reached out to grab Steve's arm, hauling him up from the chair. They nearly raced out of the office to reach the computer table. Any lead was a good one at this point.

"What is it?" Steve asked, staring at the computer.

"A couple of things," Chin assured him, then pointed to Kono who was coming from her office with paper from the printer. "You can go first, Kono."

"Yeah, Boss, the phone is a burner, but we tracked it to the house. It's them."

"Good," Steve nodded. "Find something… anything… we can use. We need to be ready for Beau the next time he calls."

Chin's fingers kept a constant staccato beat on the computer and documents and images began to "fly" to the overhead screens. "Looks like the cousins are living together," Chin muttered. "House is in Washle's name." He finagled through a few more pages and then grinned, putting another document onto the screen.

"Bingo."

"What do we have?" Danny asked, moving closer to the overhead monitors.

Chin looked at Steve. "Looks like Gordon also owns property up near Kahuku Point on the north shore."

"Isn't that jungle?" Danny asked with a quizzical look on his face.

"Yeah," Steve replied. "The Ko'olau Range, but some plots of land have been in families for generations – gifts from King Kamehameha himself. Those lots have remained with the families, although they can never be sold. If the family vacates, all land goes back to the State."

Danny turned back to Chin. "And that is what Washle owns?"

Chin nodded. "Looks like it." He outlined a rather large plot on the grid with a red line on the map. "It is somewhere in here, but the maps aren't broken up into plots."

"Looks pretty dense… jungle wise, I mean," Danny commented.

"It is," Chin agreed. "Finding a building in all that will be next to impossible without some help. That's like a needle in a haystack."

"Maybe not," Steve said. "Danny, call Holly. She can do the same thing Cath does… if she can scan via satellite, hopefully we can get thermal images. There can't be that many people living up in that area."

Danny nodded and took out his phone, searching for the number he had saved from the day before. Callling, he waited for an answer. "Hey, Holly. Hi, it's Danny Williams." He paused and then added, turning to walk toward his office, "No, not yet, but we have a lead and need your help. Just a sec," he told her, then turned back to Chin. "Do you have the coordinates?"

Chin jotted numbers down on a sticky note and took it to the detective who entered his office while Kono exited hers. "HPD confirms that both men are still in the house. They have two tails; one down the street and another on the block behind the house with good sight of the back door."

"Good," Steve nodded. "Can I have my phone back?" He held out his hand for Kono to hand it over. "I need to get a number out of this, but I'll keep it free in case we get any more texts. Be right back." He went into his office and closed the door.

"Holly's working as we speak," Danny reported, joining Chin and Kono in the common space. "What's Steve doing?"

"Said he had to make a call," Kono replied, watching Steve through the glass. "He doesn't look so good."

"He won't look good until we get Catherine back," Danny told her. "And before this is over, I foresee him looking a whole lot worse."

"Any chance we can sideline him?" Kono asked.

Danny snorted. Then Chin laughed at Danny's expression when Danny spoke. "Kono, have you met the man? If we dropped him in a shark tank in the middle of the harbor, he would probably chew through the bars and swim back to shore faster than we could make it by boat. No, I doubt we can sideline him."

She grinned as well. "It was just an idea."

Chin grinned at her. "We'll let _**you**_ bring it up to him."

"No way, Brah. I'm not rockin' that boat."

"Smart girl," Danny agreed.

~~~H50~~~

Fifteen minutes later, Danny rapped on Steve's office door, then entered to find Steve staring at the photo on his phone.

"Hey," he quietly said. "What'cha doing?"

Steve glanced up, his eyes haunted. "Just trying to look at this objectively," he admitted with a sigh.

"I'm sure that isn't easy," Danny replied.

"No, but now I know it was taken in a cabin or house in the jungle. See," Steve set the phone on the desk so that Danny could see the photo as well. "You can see a corner of a window with sunlight coming in." He pointed again, "And there is green right here like brush or leaves outside."

"Old faded wallpaper and an old, iron bed," Danny pointed out. "My Nonna had one of those iron beds when I was a kid. Can't tell you how many times I stubbed my toes on that monster."

"I wonder if she had to sleep like that?"

"Steve, don't—"

"Danny, I—"

Danny gripped Steve's uninjured shoulder, giving it a slight shake until he noticed his partner's grimace. "Sorry. But come on, you start really thinking like that and he'll have you. We need to focus on the big picture here."

Steve glanced once again at the photo. "Yeah, but that's pretty hard to do," he admitted.

"I know, Buddy."

The desk phone rang and Steve grabbed for it. "McGarrett." He listened for a moment and then added, "Yeah, thanks, Rick. I'll pick it up soon. And the serial numbers are recorded?" With a nod, he ended, "Good, thanks. I owe you one."

"What's that all about?" Danny asked when Steve dropped the handset back onto the cradle.

"I got the money – need to be ready when he calls."

"Whoa, whoa - you are giving him the ransom money? Steve, what are you thinking? That isn't smart."

"I will have the money with me if there is no other way out," Steve explained.

"But that isn't very wise."

"No, but it is a small price to pay, although I promise you Beau won't be able to spend a dime of it. But if I need to prove I got the money, he'll see it."

"OK, another question," Danny began, pacing the floor. "You make a phone call and ten minutes later, you have a quarter of a million at your disposal? How's that possible?"

Steve looked a bit sheepish before finally answering the question. He started to shrug, but thought against it. "Didn't have much time to spend the combat pay I received. It just all went into the bank."

"So, let me get this straight," Danny began, one hand on his hip, the other rubbing the side of his face. "Not only are you tall, dark and ruggedly handsome… you are also independently wealthy, too?"

"No! I'm not wealthy… well, really wealthy," Steve stammered. "But military pay has made a good cushion for my retirement. But, hey…"

"Yeah?" Danny turned in his pacing and looked at Steve's smirking face.

"You think I'm ruggedly handsome?"

"That was your take away? It's a figure of speech, Steven. Focus."

His comment earned him a half smile from his stressed out partner and Steve opened his mouth for a retort when Kono once again came to get them. "Holly has something," she said, turning back to the computer, knowing they would follow.

~~~H50~~~

Page **8** of **8**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

_**By Cokie**_

~~~H50~~~

Catherine woke with a start, hearing a noise from close by and coming awake in the same total darkness that she finally drifted to sleep in. Her muscles immediately began screaming for release and the pounding in her head and ankle quickly tried to out-rank each other in order of importance.

And the last 24 long hours came back in an instant.

_Beau! _

She held her breath while listening, trying to hear where Beau was located. Had he wakened her? Was he in the room?

She heard nothing and attempted to relax her muscles a bit, wriggling in an attempt to ease the cramps. And she couldn't let herself dwell on it, but she really needed to use the bathroom, too.

Where was he?

And why was he so quiet?

Maybe he left.

Left her alone in this god-forsaken jungle as his last revenge.

Her next question was: _Is that a good thing or a bad thing?_

~~~H50~~~

Beau had been watching Catherine from the doorway and immediately knew when she woke up. He could see her body tense before she stilled, listening and waiting.

He grinned. And was torn about whether to have fun with her while he waited or to let her live in fear of what would be coming.

Tough choice.

But he had already had some satisfaction this morning. He had taken her picture and forwarded the photo to Warren with the order to send it to McGarrett. Beau wished he could have seen the high and mighty SEAL's face when he got a load of Catherine stripped and tied up. What he would have given to be a fly on that wall!

Beau knew that time was winding down. The ransom demand had been given and he had ordered Warren and Gordon back to the cabin. They weren't much more than two warm bodies, but they would increase his firepower by two. He knew that McGarrett would have something up his sleeve, but until he was given the plans for the ransom drop off, he wouldn't have a clue of their location.

And that cluelessness gave Beau the upper hand. He was going to have his revenge… and he would be a quarter of a million richer. What was even better than the money was the fact that he would watch McGarrett's face when his girlfriend was killed in front of his eyes.

Which, of course, would be the last thing the SEAL would ever see.

Or, he debated with himself, should he kill the SEAL first and allow Catherine to watch?

Decisions, decisions.

Either way, he would walk away happy.

Beau loved it when a plan came together.

~~~H50~~~

"Chin? What do you have?" Steve asked, quickly following Kono to the outer office.

"Holly got a hit with the satellite imaging and is forwarding it to us. Give me a minute."

They all glanced up at the satellite view of the jungle while Chin refined the screen. As it came into focus, they pinpointed the location of a small house situated in the middle of a huge forest. One small dirt road traversed the side of the mountain, twisting back on itself as it wound its way to the cabin. The scan showed two heat signatures inside the house and they had visual on four people outside armed with automatic weapons. Along the side of the road just before the last turn toward the cabin, someone had parked an RV. Currently, it appeared that everyone was out in the open.

"So, he's got help up there," Danny said, watching the movement outside the cabin.

"Appears so," Chin replied.

Steve swallowed convulsively and then pointed to the room at the back of the small cabin. "There's Cath," he said, barely above a whisper.

None of them commented on the fact that the indicated heat signature was not moving. At all. But the good news was that there was heat radiating from the person in the back room. If it was indeed Catherine, she was still alive. For now.

Chin continued, trying to focus Steve's attention away from the figure in the cabin. "He has four men on site; if he calls Warren and Gordon that makes seven including himself. We can handle them," he said confidently.

"And we will," Steve affirmed. "I'm working on a plan."

Before he could begin to lay out his preliminary thoughts, he was interrupted by his phone ringing. Steve snatched the phone off the table then took a deep breath before accessing the screen with his thumb. With a glance at his three team members, he pressed the button for the speaker, took a deep breath and answered "McGarrett" while Chin began tracing the call.

"Lookin' for a bastard named Smooth Dog," a voice said.

"Who is this?" Steve asked.

"I'm a friend of a friend," the voice replied. "And you need to listen to my instructions and don't ask stupid questions or you won't see your little lady again."

"What do you want?"

"OK, listen up. Get to the Dollar car rental counter at the airport. A car has been rented in your name with GPS already programmed where you need to go. Bring the money with you. You have an hour to get on the road."

"Wait! I have to go to the bank. I can't—" He tried to stall for time.

"Then I suggest you hang up this phone and get busy. Time's a'wastin'."

The call went dead and Steve tossed the phone back onto the table. "I don't have much time, so here's what I want you to do…"

~~~H50~~~

Steve only took a few minutes to lay out the sparse details of his rescue plan before he had to run, literally, out the door; Danny by his side. Steve pushed open the double glass doors with his right arm, unable to conceal the grunt of pain when the movement jarred his other shoulder. He headed toward the stairs before Danny stopped him with his hand on his arm.

"Forget the stairs, Steven," Danny ordered. "The elevator will be here in a minute. Save your energy."

The elevator dinged in that moment and Steve turned around and entered it, immediately pounding on the button for level one.

"Breaking it won't help," Danny quietly spoke.

"Danny, I don't have time—"

"Hey, come on, you've got to focus here. You have a plan. Just try to relax a minute while you have the time. You're going to need all that excess energy later."

Steve didn't reply as the doors opened and he once again took off, heading toward the outside and the Camaro.

"Let me drive," Steve said, ready to open the driver's door.

"No," his partner emphatically replied. "Like our oh-so-eloquent kidnapper said, 'time's a'wastin', so get in the car. You need to conserve your resources for what's coming."

Steve slammed the door shut on the passenger side as Danny raced out of the lot, cutting a fast right down the street, surprising Steve with what Danny would normally term "reckless" driving. That is, as long as Steve was driving. As traffic bottle-necked at a traffic signal, Danny flipped a switch for the red and blue lights and eased through the cars to speed on ahead.

Danny was quiet, focusing on the drive while Steve finalized his plans on the phone. After Steve had hung up, Danny blurted out, "I don't like it."

"Don't like what?" Steve asked although he had known this conversation would occur. He had been waiting for the outburst since they left headquarters.

"The plan. Any of it. You don't have any business going in there blind like that. I mean, you don't know what Beau has planned. Or even where he will be for the money pickup. For all you know, the GPS is programmed for Waikiki."

"Yeah, I know," Steve readily agreed while taking the sling off his arm and tossing it on the back seat. Without the support, he cradled his left arm with his right hand and Danny didn't miss the grimace of pain and opened his mouth to speak.

"Danny, my arm's fine, stop worrying. "And since we don't know Beau's plan, I need you at the cabin. If I'm not there, I know you will get Cath out."

"But you won't have back up," Danny finally stated what had been on his mind.

"Yeah, I will."

"But it won't be me."

"No… and I wish it was you and Chin and Kono. Because I know without a doubt that you would have my back. But this time, I need you elsewhere."

Danny pulled into Steve's driveway and stopped the car, leaving the engine running, his knuckles white as his fingers gripped the steering wheel. "Be careful."

"I will. You, too." Steve opened the door and got out of the car and then leaned back in and spoke, "Danny I mean it. If… well, if I don't get there in time, please take care of Cath. Do whatever you have to do."

Danny nodded. "You know I will. But I have a feeling you will be rescuing your damsel in distress."

Steve chuckled and said, "_**You**_ can call her that to her face and see her distress." He slammed the door and shook his head at the thought of his girlfriend tearing into his partner.

"I value my life more than that," Danny assured him through the open window. "Be safe."

Steve nodded and quickly headed to the door.

Like the man said, 'time's a wastin'.

~~~H50~~~

A mere thirteen minutes later, Steve came out carrying a duffel and an empty backpack, both of which were tossed onto the seat of his truck. He bit his lip at the sudden pain that traveled through his shoulder and down his arm and he realized he needed to minimize his movements for the task ahead. He took a deep breath and carefully climbed into the driver's seat. Steve had quickly dressed in cargos, a navy shirt with a SEAL emblem on it and a cap with NAVY embroidered above the bill. He reached for a pair of aviator sunglasses and put them on before the truck reversed and whipped around to hit the highway, headed toward the airport.

His phone rang halfway to his destination.

"Yeah, Kono," he answered, no time for pleasantries.

"Boss, just got word that Warren and Gordon are on the move. The cars that were watching the house are tag teaming them now and we are following fairly close as well. Chin's on his bike… we didn't know if we needed to split up or not."

"That's probably a good idea," Steve commented. "Hang back and let HPD take the lead on the tail. I'm stuck in traffic, but everything is set at the bank when I get there."

"OK. Watch your back."

"You, too," he added. "I'll be in touch after I pick up the rental." He hung up without waiting for a reply, concentrating on the traffic on the H-1 and keeping an eye on his watch. The five or so miles from his house to the airport seemed to take much longer than necessary and he was tempted to hit the lights and siren in order to go faster. Before he actually did so, thankfully traffic opened and he sped off the H-1 heading for the ground transportation area on Nimitz Parkway in front of the airport.

Steve parked and headed toward the row of rental shacks, looking for Dollar's counter. Finding it, he pulled out his wallet to show proof of rental and the kid at the counter barely looked at the ID.

"McGarrett? I was told to expect you."

"I bet. Which car?"

The kid pointed in the direction of a red Jeep Cherokee setting by the curb. "Keys are in the ignition, just like the man asked."

"Good," Steve replied, then turned to check behind him. "Now, you will speak with these two gentlemen and tell them everything you know about this transaction. Do you understand?"

The young man's eyes widened when he saw the two police officers heading his direction. "Hey! I didn't do nothin'. I swear. I was just doin' my job."

"Yeah?" Steve said, heading to the rental car. "Tell it to them." He opened the door and slid behind the wheel, and pulled a small, button device from his pocket. Quickly placing it under the dash, he checked the rear view mirror before peeling away from the curb.

~~~H50~~~

After getting the ransom money, he exited the bank, carrying the backpack, now full of currency, over his right shoulder. He slid the sunglasses on and then pulled the cap down to shade his eyes. Glancing left and right, he quickly walked to the rented Jeep and tossed the pack on the back seat before sliding in. When the car pulled out of the parking space, the clipped British voice on the GPS prompted him to turn right onto the street and head toward the H-2 and travel until it ended before picking up state road 99.

~~~H50~~~

Steve watched the Cherokee pull away from the bank, then left from the back entrance, his cap pulled down low over his face. He climbed into the waiting pick up, turning to hand the duffel bag over the seat.

"Any problems?" Holly asked as she reached for the duffel, lifting it so that it didn't jostle his shoulder.

"Piece of cake," Steve replied, reaching up to take off his ball cap, wincing as he rubbed against the stitches in the side of his head.

He leaned back in his seat as the driver spoke. "Long time, Dog. Can't believe you need the Rangers to bail you out once again."

"Dwayne, you sound like your old ornery self," Steve told him. "Thanks for the lift."

"Anytime my friend. Now what'd'ya say, let's go get your girl."

~~~H50~~~


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

_**By Cokie**_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

**_Well, we are beginning to make some headway... finally! Thanks to everyone for your continued interest and reading of this story. I did try desperately to send a note to everyone who read the last chapter. For those of you who are listed as 'guests', I thank you as well. Please know that I appreciate all of your comments! _**

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Army Ranger Major Dwayne Tam left the parking lot and headed toward Pearl Hickam while Steve closed his eyes, pushing back on the lingering pain from his shoulder and his head. But try as he might, that task was easier said than done.

"Steve, here, take this," Holly said as a bottle of water came into his line of vision when he opened his eyes. "I've got Tylenol, too because I'm guessing you haven't taken anything for pain today."

He reached for the water, wincing again as he twisted in the seat to accept the bottle. He set it beside him and cupped his hand for the pills. "What else do you have back there?" he asked with a grin.

"I'm prepared for any emergency," she told him, replacing the bottle of pills into her backpack. "With Dwayne around, I never know what we might need."

"Holly's the best Boy Scout I've ever known," Dwayne said with a grin. "Always prepared."

"Don't mock me, Tam… you've always appreciated what I can pull out of that backpack."

"That I have, my Sweet. And I've known you long enough to never mock you."

Steve swallowed the pills and smiled at their argument, feeling lost without Catherine to talk to. _Funny how you miss the small things._ He didn't have time to linger on his morose thoughts when his phone rang.

"Kono, what's going on?"

"Warren and Gordon have stopped in a lot just past the Dole Plantation. And they're still driving the van. I pulled in at Dole and Chin has gone on ahead. From the bug on the Jeep, it appears to be headed this way. And Danny just pulled in next to me."

"Good work," Steve told her. "I'll call Paul and tell him to be aware of a tail. Everyone have ear buds?"

"We're ready to go. Be safe, Boss."

"Roger and out." Steve disconnected then scrolled his phone for another number, making his next call. "Paul, what's your position?"

The voice replied, "Heading off the H-2 to Kamehameha Highway. Everything in place?"

"Yes, Sir, so far everything is on target. You will probably pick up a tail just past the plantation. My people will hang back; they are in a red Cruise and silver Camaro. Your tail is a white van."

"Coming up on the plantation now and," he paused, waiting for confirmation, "the van is in sight." He waited another beat, then added, "and they are following. Not very discreetly, as a matter of fact."

"Be careful," Steve warned him. "You can pass for me at a distance, but try not to let them get too close."

"You make it sound like I'm a seaman on his first poop deck."

"I apologize," Steve said with a chuckle. "And I appreciate what you're doing."

"As my granny used to say, 'Let's kick this pig.' I'll meet you at the top."

"Roger that."

He hung up the phone and Holly leaned over the seat. "OK, I know you're here, so who is driving the Jeep with the ransom money?"

"McMillan."

"McMillan?" she asked, with a confused look on her face before it dawned on her. "_**Commander**_ McMillan? Seriously?" she squeaked.

"Yeah. He said he wanted to help and he can pass for me at a distance."

Holly thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, you do have a point. I didn't realize you knew each other that well."

"It's been a few years," he replied, "but we've worked together in the past. He said he's just repaying a favor."

Dwayne slowed at the check point to enter the base, and they all pulled their military IDs to show the guard. They waited until their ID was confirmed and the gate opened and then turned left and headed quickly toward the airfield and a waiting chopper. The three exited the truck and Steve went into the small hanger to check in with their pilot while Dwayne pulled his bag from the truck bed, opening it and retrieving one of the weapons inside.

"Here you go, Holly."

She strapped the offered holster onto her belt and checked the weapon before sliding it back in. "You guys be careful," she told them both when Steve returned with the pilot.

Steve spread the detailed map of their targeted region on the truck, explaining his plan. "OK, here's the cabin. They are traveling Kamehemeha toward Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road. Don't know for sure how close they can get, so that is a variable we won't know until the time comes. Mark, I need you to drop Dwayne and me off on the opposite side of the mountain, here near the Opaeula Reservoir." Steve grimaced again when he stopped supporting his left arm to point out the drop spot on the map. The still fresh injury to his shoulder hindered his movements a lot more than he wanted to admit. "It is just a few hundred yards up and over the mountain. Any questions?"

Both men shook their heads and then Steve glanced at Holly, a quizzical look on his face. "What's with the sidearm?" he asked. "I don't want you up there until everything is over. I can't worry about both you and Cath."

She gave him her best "get real" look. "I'm coming in Steve, so don't even try to stop me. I already have a late start, and I'll be behind the others, but I *am* getting there as quickly as possible. Catherine is my best friend and I'm going to be there for her. So just put that worry in a pipe and smoke it!"

Dwayne moved closer to Steve and stage whispered, "If I were you, I would say 'thanks' and be done with it. You don't have time to get her started."

Steve glanced at him and nodded. Turning back he gave Holly a quick smile. "Thanks, Holly. Be careful." He reached into one of his many pants pockets and retrieved a small case, handing it over to Dwayne to open. "Ear buds," he explained, reaching for one and placing it in his right ear. "The others are already connected," he added. "They are keeping radio silence until they're close to the target."

"Steve, are you sure you can do this?" Holly asked while taking her own ear mic. "I'm concerned about you trying to fast rope with that shoulder."

"I'll be fine," he assured her while trying to fold the map, but handed it over to her when he saw he couldn't do it one handed. "Thanks," he told her, then looked around. "Anything else?"

"Chopper's ready," the pilot, Mark told them.

"I just need to kiss my wife," Dwayne added. "See you soon, Holly. And take care of my truck."

"Your baby will be just fine," she told him, giving him a hug, whispering. "You watch Steve, OK?"

"Yeah, Babe, will do," he replied watching as his friend and Mark headed to the chopper. "See you soon."

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Holly stood next to the truck, watching the chopper's take off and bank toward the north part of the island before heading toward the H2 to begin her journey. With luck, she could break a few speed limit laws to get there as quickly as possible.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Catherine heard footsteps creaking on the old wooden floor before Beau touched her injured ankle. She immediately tensed, but he unfastened the coil that circled it and dropped the ankle back onto the bed. Pain traveled up her leg into her spine, causing her breath to catch. She tried to breathe deeply to calm herself and ease the pain, but it was impossible with the gag still in her mouth and Beau looming, waiting to do who knows what.

Next, she felt his hands on her wrists and she thought that finally… _maybe_… she could get herself out of the situation.

But those hopes were quickly dashed.

Sometime during the night, she had bucked that damn knife off her stomach and she knew it was lying beside her. She heard a chuckle and felt Beau pick it up from the bed. He then unfastened one wrist and pressed his knee onto her arm on top of the bed so she couldn't move it while he unfastened the other wrist. He then roughly grabbed both her wrists and pulled her into a sitting position.

Even in the pitch dark, the change in position after so long caused vertigo and Catherine listed to the side, held up only by his hands. He twisted her arms deftly behind her and cuffed them once again before letting her fall sideways onto the bed.

_So much for saving yourself._

Catherine waited, listening to the sounds. He left the room, only to immediately return, setting something next to her. She felt the mattress dip beneath his weight before he grabbed her and pulled her back upward to a sitting position. He tugged away the cloth over her eyes and then spoke.

"Mornin' Sunshine."

She blinked in the morning light and had to squint as tears immediately formed from the brightness. She raised her eyes to see Beau grinning at her.

"Sleep well?"

Catherine continued giving him her death glare, wanting so badly to wipe the smile off his face.

One of his hands moved to her neck and his index finger of the other hand brushed over her lips before he placed it beneath the gag in her mouth. His grin widened and he shook his head. "On second thought, I don't want to even hear your voice, so I think we'll just leave that alone." He picked up a bottle of water that he had set on the bed and uncapped it, taking a deep swig, smiling as he wiped his lips.

_Oh, water!_

"Bet you'd like some of this, huh?"

He stood up and grabbed her hair, pulling her head backward before pouring some water on the knotted cloth in her mouth. "Don't want you to choke, but I'm not totally inhuman," he told her as water dribbled down her chin as she tried to swallow.

He released the hair and sat down in front of Cath, brushing her hair back from her face.

"OK, here's what's going to go down. I expect that SEALboy will come in here all hot and bothered because I sent him a picture of you this morning. You were so pretty… all laid out there on the bed, your hair all over the pillow, dressed in your sexy undies." He slid his fingers beneath her bra strap. "Do you wear these for him? Huh? He like this kind of stuff?"

_Steve has already seen me like this? _Catherine ached, knowing what Steve must be going through, knowing that he would do anything to get to her.

Catherine twisted to get away and he only chuckled once more. "How about the gag and blindfold? Do you play like that? Hmm? Probably not, being as you are afraid of the dark and all. Does he know about that or is that a deep dark secret that only I found out? You probably want to be all GI Jane with him, right? Being the manly SEAL that he is, he wouldn't have anything else. What would he do if he discovered his main squeeze Navy gal was afraid?" He smirked at her and then added, "Doesn't matter anymore."

_You're dog meat when he gets hold of you._

Beau cupped her face in both of his hands. "Because here's what's gonna happen. I told boyfriend that he could have you back for a quarter mil, and I gave him detailed instructions on how to get here. The good news is that he took the bait. I got word a little while ago that he's on his way, so you'll be seeing him soon."

_You will be so sorry when he gets here, I promise you that._

"Bad news is that I'm gonna kill him once he sees you."

Catherine tried to jerk her head away and made a guttural sound in her throat. _I'll kill you myself first!_

He shook her and tightened his hands to keep her still. "Ah? You don't like that, huh? Well, I've thought long and hard, and realized he just brought it on himself for being the good little SEAL that he is. Thinking he's better than everybody else and always showing off. See… I've still got contacts within the Navy and I've followed his career. And yours, too, girlie. You've done all right by yourself, too, but he's just too smug and cocky… thinks he knows it all. I've seen the list of commendations he has and it is pretty sickening. Always trying to show off.

"Just like that night way back in Coronado. What was that? He made sure that I wasn't gonna have a little fun with you. And I was just getting started… was planning to make you beg for more because once I was done, you, my little lady, _**would**_ want more." He finally released her head and stood up. "But, you know, last night, when I had you here, tied up all nice and pretty… just looking at you sickened me. I don't need trash like you.

"But, boyfriend will be dead. I'm just tryin' to decide what to do with you. When I clear out, I could just leave you here with him. You two could be together, how would you like that? Him, dead on the floor and you shackled to the bed? Think that would work?"

"Or," he said, pausing for effect and pulling a gun from behind him and pointing it toward her head.

Catherine's eyes widened at the gun leveled at her. _Oh, God, Steve, I'm so sorry._

"I could just shoot you right between the eyes." He pretended to fire, then dropped his arm to his side, chuckling.

"Decisions, decisions."

He didn't bother looking back when he slammed the door behind him.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

The first chatter that was heard through the ear buds was Chin, checking in. He spoke quietly and Steve had to strain to hear him over the air noise, even though the chopper was nearly silent. "I'm behind the RV on the right side of the road," he told them. "I count four targets outside, all well armed and nervous."

"Roger that," McMillan spoke. "I have two on me and if they get any closer, they will be on the trunk. Subtlety isn't their strong suit."

"Kono and I are together in her car," Danny added. "Keeping the van in sight."

Steve listened intently and then heard the pilot. "Approximately five minutes, boys; get ready."

"Did everyone copy that?" Steve asked. "We have touchdown in five. Repeat, five minutes to target. Stay sharp. I'll make contact once we are over the mountain." After everyone confirmed, he unfastened his seatbelt and swiveled around in the seat to drop the line. Dwayne made a motion for him to stop. "Hang tight, McGarrett. I got this."

Steve started to argue but saw the determination in the other man's eyes. Dwayne reached for a harness and helped Steve put it on. He fastened it for him and made sure Steve could operate the attached safety gear with his right hand. "With that shoulder, you're not doing it free fall, so just save your breath for something important." Once he had Steve's rope ready for descent, he quickly prepared his own and finished with time to spare. Steve clipped the metal descender onto his rope and they put on their gloves. He sent a grateful smile Dwayne's way, he knew that with the safety in place he could rope down fast but was in no danger to drop down and injure his shoulder even further.

Mark decreased altitude near the reservoir, the bird barely making a sound or disturbing the trees. Silently, two figures descended and quickly detached from the ropes before the chopper disappeared.

"This way," Steve said as they headed up the mountainside.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Several minutes later, the back of the cabin was in sight. They paused, making sure they were undetected and inched forward, keeping in the trees, trying to get a glimpse inside the space and waited to hear that everyone else was in place. "Looks like only one way in," Steve mumbled to Dwayne after they checked both sides of the house. Adrenaline was giving Steve the push he needed to forget about his throbbing head and painful shoulder that had been screaming at him during their trek over the mountain ridge.

"Yeah, pick your window," Dwayne told him, shaking his head.

"On site," Steve spoke, letting everyone know that he and Dwayne were in place.

Chin's voice was the first they heard. "I can see the red Jeep heading around the last curve."

McMillan's voice was next. "And I'm being cut off by the van. Looks like it is show time, gang."

A few beats later, Chin relayed the scene to them via ear mic. "Warren and Gordon have McMillan out of the car… patting him down… They have the backpack… opening it… they seem satisfied. They are heading toward the house… the commander ahead of them … four guys are waiting for them… they also have their weapons drawn… this doesn't look good…

Danny cut in. "Kono and I are out of the car, Chin, we're heading your direction on the opposite side of the road. We should be in place and ready for action in thirty seconds."

"They're getting closer to the house," Chin said. "I need to position myself better to see the front door. Wait, Steve, we've got movement in the house."

They glanced at each other and waited, needing to hear more before going in.

But the next sound they heard was a single gunshot echoing through the trees.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

_**yeah, that was pretty mean of me, wasn't it? :) Stop screaming! All will be revealed next Tuesday.**_


	12. Chapter 12

'_**Uhane**_

_**Chapter 12**_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

_**OK, we're beginning to wind down now. One more chapter after this one. I think I am finally caught up on my thank you replies, but if I missed you, please know it wasn't intentional. For those listed as guests, I appreciate your comments, too.**_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Beau heard the slamming of car doors and opened the front door to get a look at the man who he felt was responsible for ruining his life. He had fantasized about this day since he had been forced out of the Navy years ago. His downfall had begun the night the MAs arrested him after McGarrett halted his fun with the slut who was now in the back room.

They had come full circle. Only this time, he held the cards and they were playing by his rules.

And they were now in his corner.

He remained in the shadows inside the house and watched as Warren and Gordon prodded McGarrett up the drive, Warren carrying the backpack and Gordon with his gun pushed in the man's back.

Warren unzipped the backpack and checked inside, and glanced at the house, giving Beau a thumbs up to let him know the money was there. Beau motioned for them to move it along and bring McGarrett closer. The man didn't look so cocky now that he was being prodded along with a gun in his back. Beau paused for a moment when an uneasy feeling went through him and the hair on the nape of his neck began to tingle.

McGarrett's posture wasn't the same. And the walk… something wasn't quite right.

Beau pulled the gun from the waistband of his jeans and fired a shot into the dirt in front of his prisoner's feet, causing all three men to jump back in astonishment.

"Hey!" Gordon yelled. "Watch it!"

"Shut up!" Beau bellowed at the man. "Before I put the next one in you." He motioned with the gun. "Get rid of his hat and glasses."

Warren reached up and knocked the ball cap from McMillan's head before taking the glasses and tossing them on the ground.

"You morons!" Beau screamed. "That's not McGarrett." He raised his arm to shoot, before realization dawned that if McGarrett wasn't here… he had to be somewhere. His first thought was to shoot all three of them, but his attention was suddenly drawn elsewhere.

"Five-0! Drop your weapons!" Danny shouted from behind one of the cars. "We've got you surrounded." Chin eased out from behind the RV on the opposite side of the road and Kono moved in closer toward Danny's location, gun ready to fire.

Beau didn't bother to fight; rather, he turned and ran back to Catherine, leaving the others to sort this out.

McMillan kicked out at Warren, popping him in the knee before quickly grabbing Gordon's arm, snatching the weapon from the man's grasp. Warren went down screaming then turned his gun on McMillan, only to shoot his cousin in the arm when the captain jerked around, pushing Gordon forward.

The four men who were guarding the house quickly disbursed and began firing; their fire immediately being returned by Five-0.

McMillan vaulted over a car, landing near Chin's location. He back pedaled until they were side by side and he picked a target.

"Did McGarrett make it in?" McMillan asked.

"Hope so," Chin replied. "Or this is a bust."

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Beau stormed through the house and grabbed Catherine, pulling her across the bed by her cuffed arms. She screamed beneath the gag and tried to twist away from him, hearing gunfire, but not knowing what was happening.

"SEALboy thinks he's real smart, doesn't he?" Beau growled in her ear. He shoved the gun into the waistband of his pants and reached for the knife on the bed. He grabbed her hair in his right hand, pulling her head back before placing the serrated blade against her throat.

Since Catherine's ankle was still in the shackle, he couldn't move far with her, but he positioned himself between her and the window just as the window exploded, a large rock landing on the floor amidst the broken glass.

"Just as I thought… he's coming in the window."

"You thought wrong," a low voice spoke from behind him. "He's already here."

_**~~~H50~~~**_

The battle outside was fairly evenly matched. Four unknown perps with assault rifles, as well as Warren and Gordon, against Chin, Kono, Danny and Captain McMillan. After Dwayne had broken the bedroom window, he quickly moved to the corner of the house to add his firepower to that of the team. He got Chin's attention and motioned for cover fire so that he could get closer to the action.

Once in place, he managed to quickly take out one of the unknown snipers who had been on guard. A well placed bullet blew the man's shoulder apart and he was out of commission, his assault rifle on the ground. Danny and Kono continued to advance from their positions, each covering the other as they volleyed for placement closer to the action. Their targets were Warren and one of the snipers. Gordon had managed to crawl into place near his cousin and was managing to fire with his uninjured arm but his shots were wide and he wasn't considered a real threat. Chin and Captain McMillan continued to draw fire from the other two snipers.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Steve kicked in the side door of the cabin simultaneously to Dwayne breaking the back window. He waded through trash on the floor of the filthy kitchen to reach the hallway, stopping when he saw Beau with his arm around Catherine's neck.

He took in the scene before him in a blink of an eye. Even if he had a kill shot, the knife threatening to kill Catherine would have stopped him. A slight twitch and her carotid would be severed. Even though Beau had been a lousy sailor, Steve knew the man knew how to fight.

And Steve knew that he would fight for all it was worth.

But then, so would Steve. And for Steve, losing was _**not**_ an option.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

When he heard Steve's voice, Beau jerked around, dragging Catherine with him. The serrated blade in his left hand pricked her neck, causing her to try to scream around the gag. She felt a trickle of blood trail down her neck and raised her eyes to look at Steve, fearing what would happen next. And fearing what Steve would try to do to save her.

"Drop it," Steve ordered, his voice ragged with emotion.

Beau merely laughed. "Don't think so. Drop the Sig because you sure as hell aren't gonna shoot me with it. You know I'll take her with me if you do."

Again, Steve tried. "Drop it." He quickly glanced into Catherine's eyes, seeing trust there. Trust that he didn't deserve. More trails of blood joined the first when Beau moved the knife and Steve didn't doubt Beau's threats one bit. He really didn't have an option - he needed to get rid of the Sig.

Beau turned once again, one knee on the bed behind Catherine. The knife dug a bit deeper and the gash was a couple of inches long, fat drops of blood dripping onto her breasts. "Last chance." He made a head motion toward the window. "Toss the gun out the window and she might live. Don't, and she dies now."

Steve moved further into the room, closer to the window, hoping for an angle that would be to his advantage.

Beau twisted Catherine on the bed as Steve moved, his hand pulling tightly against her hair. "You don't believe me?" he asked, wiggling the knife so that the sharp edges dug further into her skin, toying with both Catherine and Steve. "If you want to watch me slit her throat, stand there another few seconds."

Steve tossed the gun through the broken window, never taking his eyes off Beau. "Let her go. Now. And fight like a man rather than hiding behind a woman."

"You don't look so tough now," Beau said, laughing. "How's it feel to lose?" He released some of the pressure on Catherine's hair and relaxed his hand, causing the bloody knife to slightly move away from her neck.

Catherine made a throaty sound to get Steve's attention before ramming the back of her head into Beau's nose. The knife sliced the side of her neck once again before he shoved her forward into the metal footboard.

Steve heard Catherine hit the metal and from the corner of his eye, saw her fall off the bed. His attention was solely on Beau and he launched himself at the other man. They fell across the bed, Steve grasping Beau's left wrist in his right hand, trying to get him to drop the knife. Beau tried to force Steve away, but the SEAL knew he couldn't roll onto his left shoulder and struggled for possession of the knife. Steve knew the fight would be over before it even began if he didn't protect himself.

Beau knew Steve's weak spots and was able to get an elbow into the stitches on the side of Steve's head, causing him to see stars. McGarrett blinked back the rush of gray that threatened to snare him but kept his attention focused on the knife. Beau struck out with his right hand, trying for a direct hit to Steve's injured shoulder, but Steve managed to block the move as they slid across the bed and to the floor. Steve twisted at the last-minute, saving his shoulder but while protecting his left side, Beau managed to swing the knife in an arc, catching Steve across his right shoulder. It stung, but wasn't a deep cut and Steve quickly pushed back on Beau's wrist while pinning Beau's right arm with his left knee. Using his weaker left fist, Steve hit him in the side of the head. It wasn't a hard blow but it stunned the other man for just a moment. Steve reached for the gun in Beau's waistband, but Beau knocked it from Steve's weak grip. The weapon slid across the floor, out of each of their reach. Steve managed another hit that landed on Beau's temple.

With Beau disoriented, Steve shifted his body to the right and in a quick move, snapped Beau's left wrist. The kidnapper howled in pain and the knife slipped from his frozen fingers, further increasing his rage. His now free right arm swung around, his fist landing on the break in Steve's left clavicle.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

The fight outside continued on. Chin took out one of the snipers with a bullet in his chest only to turn his focus on the one Dwayne had shot earlier. Apparently he could shoot just as well with his left arm as he could his right.

Until Chin got a shot off that hit his target in the left side and arm.

Two down.

They lost track of one of the Beau's men until McMillan spied movement around the side of the house. The man had managed to stay in the brush and go around back, circling the cabin. McMillan duck-walked in that direction and watched as the man aimed his assault weapon at Dwayne's back. The commander shot, winging him which caused the man to lose his weapon. McMillan launched forward, tackling him, both of them going down in the jungle.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Steve grunted and rolled away from Beau, nearly passing out from the pain. Beau tried to push away enough to get his feet beneath him while cradling his broken hand against his chest. He kicked out at Steve, once again hitting his left arm. Beau got to one knee before Steve pushed up, quickly grabbing the hem of Beau's jeans, flipping him back to the floor. Steve felt the knife beneath him and scooted off it, grabbing it in one move. Beau twisted and was ready to swing at Steve's shoulder once more when Steve twisted and pushed forward, plunging the knife into Beau's upper right chest.

The man blinked in surprise and fell backward, the knife making a sickening sucking sound as it remained in Steve's grip.

"Son of a bitch," Beau managed to growl when he tried to scoot backwards on the floor. The front of his shirt was quickly stained red and he realized he was in real trouble. He kept staring at Steve, his hatred filling the room before he realized he was beat and allowed his head to drop to the floor.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Catherine was dazed when her head connected with the iron bed and fall to the floor, but she had managed to turn herself around and lean against the wall while trying to catch her breath and work through the pain in her head. Several places on her throat were stinging and she could feel the stickiness of the blood on her bare skin although she hoped the cuts were beginning to clot.

The fight on the other side of the bed got her attention and although she heard a lot of grunts of pain and muttered curses, she couldn't see either man. It was difficult to get to her knees with her hands still cuffed behind her, but she twisted and struggled until she was upright, looking across to the other side of the bed.

The first thing she saw was the knife stab the mattress, bloody fingers wrapped around its hilt. It took a few seconds, but Steve pulled himself up to his knees and they stared at each other across the bed. He was struggling for breath and his matted hair clung to his head with sweat, but he finally managed a victorious, albeit, worn out smile.

Catherine pushed herself up and stood on her shackled foot and fell across the bed, unable to stop her tears of relief.

Steve managed to haul himself up on the bed as well and he sat down, dropping the knife and reaching for the gag in her mouth. "How bad is it?" he asked while trying to get hold of the gag with one hand while looking at her bloodied skin. He finally managed to get a finger beneath it and tugged it away from her mouth, carefully easing it down to her neck, gently trying to blot away the blood so that he could see the wounds.

"Hey!" he whispered, reaching his shaky hand up to push the hair from her face. "You're safe. Just talk to me. How bad?"

Catherine tried to wet her dry lips, but struggled to do so. Seemed she had plenty of water in her eyes, but none in her mouth. She finally just gave him a teary smile and croaked out, "Hey, Commander," while tiredly leaning her forehead against his. "You came for me. Now, I'm OK."

"You bet I came for you." Steve glanced back and found that Beau hadn't moved. He was still alive; Steve could see his chest rise and fall, but the man wasn't going anywhere on his own. With a sigh, he leaned back against the iron bed frame, moving Catherine with him. They rested there for a few seconds, just looking into the other's eyes before Steve realized a firefight was continuing outside.

He moved to try to get up. "I got… need…outside." He vaguely pointed toward the front of the house and the gunshots they could still hear.

Catherine took a good look at him. Blood was seeping from the side of his head and from the cut on his chest; his left shoulder was distorted and his left hand was lying useless in his lap. She chuckled and said, "You aren't going anywhere, Sailor, so save your strength."

"My team is—"

"Probably mopping up just fine without you." She was on his right side and scooted closer. "Don't leave me," she whispered.

And he couldn't.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

McMillan and the man he attacked were evenly matched and each one managed to get in several hard hits to the other's face and torso. After a couple of minutes of intense fighting, the commander managed to get the upper hand and knocked his opponent to the ground. McMillan turned around, reaching for his weapon that was still lying idly on the ground when his attacker grabbed a knife from his boot. Before he could throw it, a shot rang out, hitting him in the forearm.

McMillan whipped back around to find Holly coming out of the jungle, her gun still aimed at the attacker. "If you so much as twitch, the next one will be between your eyes," she warned. Reaching into a pocket she retrieved a zip tie. "Commander, would you care to do the honors?"

"I would," he replied, reaching out his hand. "And thank you for that save, Lieutenant."

"Not a problem, Sir. I saw this one aiming for my husband and I was too far away to take the shot, so thank you for stopping him."

Commander McMillan looked over to where Chin and Dwayne were still engaged in a firefight and shook his head. "You're welcome, Lieutenant, but are you telling me that no-count Army blockhead is your husband? Didn't the Navy teach you any better than that?" He grinned at her while flipping their prisoner over and securing his wrists behind his back. The man squealed and he smacked the back of his head before reaching for another tie for his ankles.

Suddenly, the firefight quieted, with just one more random shot piercing the air.

"Hey, no! Stop. Don't shoot, I give up."

The last sniper had tried to circle around Danny and Kono but Danny had managed to cut him off with a slug in his thigh. When the man went down, Danny snared the rifle and flipped him over, quickly cuffing him.

Warren fired the last shot and when he realized that he and Gordon were the only ones left, they were ready to find a white flag. Kono moved in closer to them and ordered, "Toss your weapons aside now."

Chin and Dwayne came in from the other side and outnumbered the two who quickly gave up their weapons.

"Everyone OK?" Danny asked, pushing his felon in front of him.

"Looks like one dead and four wounded," McMillan said, glancing around. "And I think we're all OK."

Danny handed over his man and checked to account for everyone. "Chin, with me." He turned toward the house. "Can you guys handle it out here?"

Dwayne looked at the people on the ground and nodded. "Yell if you need back up."

"Everyone else hang back until we call an all-clear. Holly, did you happen to see EMS on your way up?"

"They are just a couple of miles away waiting. And Steve's pilot friend landed in the field, thinking he might be needed for transport."

"Someone radio them and get them up here," Danny ordered. "And Kono, grab that backpack and keep it safe."

"Sure thing," she said, finishing placing handcuffs on Gordon before grabbing the bag with Steve's money. "We're good. Go get the Boss and Catherine."

~~~H50~~~

The house was deathly quiet as Danny and Chin stepped over the threshold into the darkened house. They quickly policed the living room and kitchen, checking for any other perps before moving down the short hallway with only two doors off it, a dirty bathroom and a bedroom.

Danny was not prepared for what he saw and slowly dropped his weapon down by his side and cut a sideways glance at Chin. "We're busting our asses outside and you guys are in bed?" He turned back to his partner. "Figures!" He moved into the room and glanced down at Beau on the floor.

"I'll get EMS up here stat," Chin said, turning to exit the house.

Danny moved closer to the bed. "Ow! Dammit!"

"What?" Steve asked.

"This stupid bed jumped out and stubbed my toe. I told you they hated me."

_**~~~H50~~~**_


	13. Chapter 13

'_**Uhane**_

_**Chapter 13**_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

_**Well, this is it - the final chapter. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed and 'favorited' this story. I really worked hard on catching up on my thank you's so I hope I have sent you a private note. If not, the slight wasn't intentional because I really appreciate each and every comment, including the ones from guests I can't personally thank! **_

_**I can't say "The End" without adding another huge thank you to Sym64 and Sockie1000. They have seen these chapters more times than they would care to and have always offered great comments and changes with each revision. I have learned that Ohana doesn't have to be a person you see each and every day but is the person you know "has your back". I truly value both of you… not only for putting up with me but for all the fun you have brought to my life!**_

_**Aloha and **__**malamapono a hui hou… (I should make you look it up, but it translates as 'take care until we meet again'.)**_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Catherine leaned back and closed her eyes. Thankfully, she was finally alone and could try to relax. If one more person asked if she was OK, she would shoot them.

Hell, no, she wasn't OK.

In the last forty hours, she had been kidnapped, knocked around, stripped and mentally abused… no way was she OK.

Her ankle was in a foam brace and now rested on a pillow on the bed. Once the swelling subsided, she would get a walking cast. Thankfully it wasn't broken, but the ligaments had been torn and bruised as were her wrists after spending the night in handcuffs. The cuts on her neck were covered with several gauze pads. A couple of them were mere scratches, but others required the help of a plastic surgeon and a tube of Super Glue to close them, but she had his assurance that they wouldn't leave any scars.

The cuts were still stinging and she could feel a dull throb in her ankle, but with the help of some nice pills, she wasn't really feeling any pain.

All in all, she was alive and would heal. Yes, there would be chats with a Navy psychiatrist in her future, but that was good. She had no problem venting and was thankful she was here to be able to complain. Her goal was talking about what had happened and then put it behind her. Her plan was to also get Steve to see that therapist with her. She knew he would try to convince everyone he didn't need it, but that wasn't going to fly with her! But she knew which buttons to push to make sure that he attended a couple sessions with her… all for her benefit, of course!

Cath had finally managed to talk Holly and Dwayne into leaving, giving her some time alone. At Danny's request, they had come to the hospital with Steve and her. While Holly was her best friend, she had managed to turn into a Mother Hen in the time it took to get to Tripler. Danny had been torn over what to do; he wanted to go to the hospital with Steve, but he and Commander McMillan felt the need to oversee everything at the cabin, therefore he had 'appointed' Holly and Dwayne as designated caregivers. Catherine felt that she and Steve had lost all control over their lives once they had emerged from that cabin.

She had to smile when she remembered her rescue. Even now, hours later, it seemed surreal, almost like it had happened to someone else. Once Danny and Chin had come into the bedroom, things began to happen quickly. Steve had ordered the guys to get her cuffs off and while Danny quickly took care of the handcuffs, they had to search for a key to unlock the larger lock of the shackle. Chin finally found it in Beau's pants pocket and fished it out right before EMS came and took Beau away. Holly had then appeared with clothes for her to wear, and she _**finally**_ got to go to the bathroom… but only with Chin carrying her! That had been a scene… she really _**had**_ to go and was ready to hop if she had to, but Chin planted himself right in front of her and offered his assistance. She didn't know who was the most embarrassed, him or her, because she wasn't exactly clad in a lot of clothing at the time! But he was so sweet and kind as he carefully set her down that she rewarded him with a kiss on his cheek.

He had smiled and said, "We take care of our Ohana. Call me when you're ready to come out." He had then stepped aside and allowed Holly to enter before he closed the bathroom door.

She really loved this team Steve had hand-picked!

Steve had treated her like she was made of glass and during the short time she and Holly were in the bathroom, he kept asking if she was all right, wanting Kono to check on her. When Holly opened the door, Kono was standing with Chin, waiting. She looked up and said, "Good. You're out. The boss is ready to have a stroke because you're not back. He's got it bad for you, Girl." They had laughed as Chin swung her back up into his arms and deposited her back on the bed. EMS had wanted… and Steve had insisted… they check her out before she left the cabin.

Steve's friend, Mark, had flown the two of them, along with their entourage of Holly and Dwayne, to Tripler where she and Steve were immediately split up. Catherine had spent the next couple of hours in emergency and X-Ray before ending up here. Now, she was so comfortable, finally feeling able to relax from all the tension of the past two days. She felt herself dozing off but jerked awake upon hearing the door open. Stifling a groan at the interruption, Catherine opened her eyes to find Danny staring at her.

"Sorry," he whispered. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"I'm not asleep," she replied while smiling at him. "Just sitting here thinking about how lucky I am."

"How are you—" He stopped talking when she held up her hand like a school-crossing guard.

"I have already vowed to shoot the next person who asks how I am, so you might want to rephrase that question."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Duly noted," he said, pointing to the person in the bed next to Catherine's chair. "Can I ask how he is?"

"Of course," she grinned. "Steve is fair game. Surgery went well and he's just sleeping off the anesthesia. He was awake, but pretty groggy when they brought him into the room, but has been asleep since then. Dr. Mason is coming by soon to check on him."

"He didn't give them any trouble?" Danny asked.

"He didn't have the energy to give anyone trouble. He even fell asleep in the chopper… while sitting up."

"Well," Danny confided, "It's been a pretty intense couple of days. He came close to losing it a couple of times," he admitted, both of them glancing at his partner.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she replied. "I was so afraid of what he was going to do… if he even had a chance at finding me up there. And not that I'm complaining, but how did you figure it out? And another question, how did Commander McMillan get involved in this."

"He asked to help," Danny told her, slowly shaking his head. "Seems he's just another person who owes Steve a favor. And as for how we figured it out, it was a joint effort. Be sure and ask Kono why she has pink hair. I think she had fun last night." Danny glanced at the clock on the wall. "Now, would you like me to take you home? I know they discharged you, but you shouldn't stay in that chair all night."

"Holly said she's coming back at midnight to take me to their house, but I'm not budging. I'll call her in a few minutes and tell her." She looked back at Steve who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. "No way am I leaving him tonight."

"OK, I won't argue with you. Can I get you anything?"

"Danny, I've got all I need," she said with a smile.

"Who? That guy?" he asked, shaking his head and pointing to the sleeping figure in the bed.

_**~~~H50~~~**_

He knew he should wake up, but for some reason, he just couldn't remember why. It felt so good to be comfortable and free of pain. He could remember that his arm had hurt and his head had been killing him for what seemed like forever. Now that the pain was gone, he didn't want to risk doing anything to bring it back.

_How had he hurt himself? _ Steve knew he should know the answer to that question. Maybe if he just relaxed a bit longer, he would remember, so he allowed himself to float along, not caring if he remembered anything or not.

A few minutes later, voices began filtering through to his consciousness, annoying at first until he realized he could actually understand them. And then he recognized who was talking.

_I've got all that I need._ That was Cath!

_Who? That guy?_ And Danny!

_What have I done to myself this time? _he wondered, trying to focus.

_Beau!_

Before he could process everything, he heard Danny's voice again. "Think he's gonna sleep all night?"

"How can anyone sleep with you yapping?" Steve mumbled, opening his eyes and blinking in the dim light to see Danny standing over the bed, Catherine seated in a chair beside him.

They both grinned at seeing he was awake. He tried to turn so that he could see them better, but found he couldn't move. "What?" He raised his head and discovered that his left arm had disappeared. Completely. He was wrapped in a wide, elastic bandage around his chest, torso and shoulder, his arm hidden underneath. All that he could see was the tips of his fingers.

He dropped his head back to the pillow and groaned, "Why me?"

"Why you?" Danny shot back, waving his hands in the air. "Who else would go into hand-to-hand combat with only one functional arm? Especially in a fight with the guy who knew exactly what your weak spot was?"

It was all coming back to him. Surgery to repair his shattered shoulder. _Crap._

Steve turned his head once again to get a good look at Cath, zoning in on her throat. "What did the doctor say?" he asked, pointing his finger in her direction.

Catherine scooted forward and reached for his hand. It was an awkward position because her injured foot was propped up on his bed, but she twisted around to get to him. "Everything is fine. They glued me together and the doctor said I shouldn't have any scars. Mostly the cuts were just scratches."

"Didn't bleed like scratches." He closed his eyes in relief, remembering how close he had come to losing her. "Danny, tell me you got them all."

"All accounted for. One dead, several injured."

"Is he still alive?" 'He' didn't have to be defined for anyone.

"Yes, he's downstairs in ICU with a guard at the door. And, much to the nurse's dislike, I cuffed him to the bed. He lost a lot of blood, but they say he will make it."

"Good," Catherine and Steve said at the same time, with Steve adding, "I can't wait to see him in court."

Steve yawned and closed his eyes, trying to shake off the sleepiness. He squeezed Cath's hand then pulled his away, raising it to his face and rubbing his eyes.

"Apparently we are boring you, so I'm going to leave," Danny said, grinning at his partner.

"No, sorry, don't leave. What time is it?"

"After eleven," Danny replied. "And you've had a pretty busy day, so I think you're entitled to another nap."

Steve rolled his head on the pillow to look at Cath again. "Did they release you or did you sneak in here?"

"I was properly released," she said, "and did not pull one of your stunts. But it doesn't matter… they couldn't have kept me away." She pointed to her ankle. "I have an appointment in a couple of days for a boot I can walk in, but other than being on crutches, I'm good to go."

"Don't go back to my house until they spring me from here," he told her. "I don't want you to be there alone. Maybe you can stay with Holly-"

Catherine shook her head. "I'm not leaving here, Steve, so don't try to argue."

He began shifting on the bed, grimacing at the effort.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Danny asked, smacking his partner's foot. "Be still."

"No, help me out here, Danno. Move that pillow."

"That pillow is helping prop your arm up," he replied, moving to the opposite side of the bed.

"Push it all the way against the rail," Steve argued while using his other elbow to raise his upper body and reposition himself. He grimaced again when the move jostled his shoulder but managed to move a few inches to the left. "There."

"There, what? What are you doing?" Danny asked again.

"Now help Catherine up here," Steve ordered.

"What?" she said in surprise. "I can't get in bed with you."

"Sure you can," he argued. "Who's gonna stop you?"

"Well, I can name a few," Danny said, and held up a finger. "First off is Dr. Mason, then any number of nurses, possibly even the cleaning lady and the security guard… just for starters."

"Steve, really," Catherine began. "I—"

Steve held out his hand to her, wiggling his fingers. "Come here. Danny, come on, help her get in the bed."

Catherine eased her foot from its perch on the bed and stood up. "They'll make me get out, but I'll play along for now." She leaned over and gave him a kiss.

"Trust me," Steve said. "This will work."

Danny helped Catherine lie down on top of the sheet, muttering, "If I had a dollar for every time you said 'trust me', I'd be a rich man." Danny stood back and looked at them trying to coordinate his broken arm and her injured leg. He relocated the pillow for her ankle and then spread a blanket over her. "There. You comfy?"

"See, that wasn't so hard," Steve said. "Thanks, Danno."

"I think this is my cue to leave," Danny told them. "Cath, I'll call Holly and tell her not to bother coming to get you."

"Would you? Thanks," she told him, snuggling onto Steve's shoulder. "'Cause this does feel pretty good."

"Pretty good?" Steve asked, with mock hurt in his voice.

"Damn good."

"That's better."

"Good night, you two. Call me if they spring you in the morning and I'll come pick you up. Kono said she was going to stop by your house tomorrow to clean up after the CSU guys."

"Thanks, Danny," Steve told him. "See you tomorrow."

"Talk to you later." With a wave, Danny turned and opened the door to find Dr. Mason on the other side. He quickly glanced back at the bed and then stepped aside for the doctor to enter. "I assure you that I had nothing to do with that," Danny told him as he hurried down the hall.

The colonel peered over his glasses at the couple squeezed into the bed and then simply shook his head as he stepped closer. "I take it, Commander that you found what you were looking for?"

"Yes, Sir, I did." He glanced at her and introduced the two. "Lieutenant Catherine Rollins, Sir."

Catherine rose up to climb out of bed. "I'm sorry, Sir."

He waved her back down and moved to "Steve's" side of the bed. "If you can keep him in bed, then you have my permission to stay." The doctor set down the chart and re-positioned the pillow beneath Steve's arm before checking his fingertips.

"No swelling, that's good," he mumbled. "And they're pink, so there's good circulation. How does your shoulder feel?"

Steve started to shrug then realized the futility of that move. "Not too bad. Sort of a dull ache."

The doctor began to write in the chart. "Hmm… And your head?" He took out his light and clicked it on to see the stitches above his patient's ear. "We had to repair a couple of stitches. Care to tell me how they got popped?"

"Well, I, ah, they were… I sort of got in a fight, Sir."

"Sort of?"

"Yes, Sir," Steve admitted as Catherine snickered into his shoulder. "Stop that," he told her with a sheepish grin.

"Was the fight worth it?" the doctor asked, not quite able to keep a straight face himself.

"Yes, Sir, very much so."

"That's good, because I'm going to guess you'll have a helluva headache for a few days. You got your bell rung pretty badly. Two days in a row." He finished with the chart and flipped it closed. "OK, here's the deal. I'll be in surgery for a few hours in the morning. If you are a model patient tonight… and that means following all the nurses' orders _**and**_ taking something for pain when they bring it…"

Steve opened his mouth to protest but the doctor made it clear he wasn't finished. "… and if your shoulder looks good when I check it tomorrow, I'll kick you out of here." He pointed his finger at his patient and finished, "But any more stunts like yesterday and I'll personally tie you to the bed. Am I making myself clear?"

"Very, Sir."

He turned to leave, but stopped and gently removed the blanket from Catherine's foot. "Lieutenant, did they give you something for pain?"

"Yes, Sir," she replied, pointing to the bottle of pills on the bedside table.

Dr. Mason nodded, and then added, "If you need something stronger, tell them to call me. I'll tell the nurses that you have my permission to share the bed as long as the nurse can reach your IV tonight," he said, pointing to the port on Steve's right wrist. "And I expect you both to get some rest tonight… _no_ hanky panky going on here."

They both grinned. "Yes, Sir."

"See you tomorrow," he said, waving before closing the door behind him.

"Told you it was OK," Steve gloated.

"Uh huh, you didn't know that," Catherine argued, fixing a stern glare at him. "And what did he mean about your 'stunt' yesterday?"

"Nothing much," he said. "I just sort of left the hospital without permission."

"Steve! Why?"

He looked at her and explained, "Because I had someplace else I had to be."

"Oh. Well… OK. Thank you. That was some rescue plan you put together, Commander."

"All that matters is that it worked," he replied in relief.

"How did you manage conning Commander McMillan into helping you?"

"He asked me if he could help," Steve told her. "And since he could sort of pass for me, he was in charge of the ransom money… which I hope someone brought back with them."

"You were going to pay Beau a ransom?"

"Well, no, not really," Steve admitted.

"Gee, thanks."

"No, I mean, yes I had the money, but I never had any intention of actually _giving_ it to Beau. I'm not that stupid."

"Well, that makes me feel real special."

Steve turned to kiss her forehead. "You know what I mean and don't pretend that you don't."

She snuggled closer, turning onto her side. "I know. Thank you. You really are my hero." Her voice was very quiet when she added, "I was afraid you wouldn't be able to figure out where I was."

"Of course I figured it out. Well, with a lot of help. Besides… I swear I'll always come for you."

She smiled at his confession. "I know. And thank you. Last night isn't one I ever want to relive."

"Cath?"

"Yes." She raised her head to look at him when he didn't continue.

Steve swallowed, but then just shook his head.

"What? Steve, come on. Don't clam up now."

He turned his head to stare into her eyes. "He took… your clothes… did he rape—"

"No! Thank God, no, Steve I swear." She placed her finger over his lips to shush him. "Nothing like that. And… you know I have to wonder if he even _could_. He was pretty messed up."

"That's an understatement," he said before kissing her finger that was still over his mouth. "OK, sorry, I just… well, I had to know. Because if he had, I would forever regret not killing him on the spot."

She looked at him and shook her head. "I know you better than that. You would have regretted it if you _had_ killed him. Besides, I don't want him dead. He needs to stand trial and pay for what he did. Holly told me he had killed a girl."

"He'll pay," Steve vowed. "Don't worry about that. He's going to pay for everything."

Catherine laid her head back down on his shoulder and yawned. "Sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night," she admitted.

"I didn't have a choice," Steve said. "Danny drugged me, so I slept."

She laid her arm across his waist and snuggled closer, whispering, "It was so dark in the jungle. And then he—"

"Shh. I… saw the picture. I know. Just don't think about it… you're safe now."

"You might not realize," she confessed, "I know this is silly, but I'm pretty afraid of the dark…"

"No kidding?" Steve said, trying to sound surprised.

She glared at him. "OK, you can drop the act, I know you know that," she told him. "And thanks for not ever laughing at me."

"Never." And then he yawned.

They were quiet for a few moments before he spoke again. "Good night, Lieutenant. I missed you."

She smiled. She was right where she was supposed to be. "Good night, Commander. And I love you, too."

_**~fin~**_

_**ljw: 6.10.13**_


End file.
